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HAND    IN    HAND 


THROUGH  THE  HAPPY  VALLEY. 


BY 

MRS.    J.    A.    OERTEL. 


PUBLISHED    FOR    THE    BENEFIT    OF 

THE  CHILDREN'S   WARD,   ST.   JOHN'S    HOSPITAU 

CHURCH    CHARITY    FOUNDATION, 
BROOKLYN,   L.    I. 


1881. 


TO    MY    SWEET     SISTER 

IN    CHRIST, 

rPON    WHOSE    GENTLE  HEAD 

^OD      SET      THIS      GOLDEN     CROWN     OP  ^ 

MOTHERHOOD, 

THIS    LITTLE    VOLUME    IS    LOVINGLY 

DEDICATED. 


«,-^ 


There  is  not  in  the  wide  world  a  valley  so  sweet, 
As  that  vale  in  whose  bosom  the  bright  waters  meet; 
Oh,  the  last  rays  of  feeling  and  life  must  depart, 
Ere  the  bloom  of  that  valley  shall  fade  from  my  heart., 

Yet  it  was  not  that  nature  had  shed  o'er  the  scene, 
Her  purest  of  chrystal  and  brightest  of  grecD; 
'Twas  not  the  soft  magic  of  streamlet  or  hiH, 
Oh  !  no,— it  was  something  more  exquisite  still. 

'Twas  that  friends,  the  belov'd  of  my  bosom  were  near, 
Who  made  every  scene  of  enchantment  more  dear : 
And  who  felt  how  the  best  charms  of  nature  improve, 
When  we  see  them  reflected  from  looks  that  we  love. 

•Sweet  vale  of  Avoca !  how  calm  could  I  rest. 

In  thy  bosom  of  shade,  with  the  friends  I  love  best, 

Where  the  storms  which  we  feel  in  this  cold  world  would 

cease, 
And  our  hearts,  like  thy  w^aters,  be  mingled   in  peace. 


THE     HAPPY     VALLEY 


"  It  is  warm  in  that  green  valley, 
Vale  of  childhood,  where  you  dwell. 

It  is  calm  in  that  green  valley, 
Round  whose  bournes  such  great  hills  swelL" 

In  the  beautiful  Piedmont  region  of 
Western  North  Carolina,  where  the 
foot  hills  lie  nestling  at  the  base  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  a  stretch  of  valley,  four  or 
five  miles  in  extent,  bordering  the  yet  infant 
Yadkin,  is  known  as  the  "  Happy  Valley."  ^ 

On  either  side  the  mountains  rise  and  fall  in 
wavy,  picturesque  outline,  rugged  and  wild, 
with  faces  scarred  by  tempests  and  the  black- 
ened tracks  of  the  fire  fiend  that  so  often 
sweeps  destructively  up  and  down  their  steeps. 
They  stand  in  their  native,  uncultured  wild- 
ness,  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  lovely  scene 
in  the  vale  below. 


8  The  Happy  Valley, 

The  bottom  lands  of  this  valley  are  luxuri- 
antly rich.  In  their  season  the  broad  fields  of 
wavy  grain,  heavy  with  the  golden  harvest, 
and  the  ranks  of  stately  corn,  with  its  broad, 
dark  green  leaves  covering  the  full  strong  ears, 
bring  to  mind  the  exclamation  of  the  Psalm- 
ist, "The  valleys  shall  stand  so  thick  with 
corn  that  they  shall  laugh  and  sing.-' 

As  one  approaches  from  the  south  the  route 
lies  over  the  Green  Mountain.  By  the  gradual 
ascent  of  a  graded  road  the  top  at  last  is 
reached,  and  winding  through  a  gap  the  de- 
scent immediately  commences.  Just  on  the 
summit  a  mystical  mound,  circular  in  form, 
with  a  depression  in  the  middle,  supposed  to 
be  the  resting  place  of  some  of  the  dusky  war- 
riors, who  in  the  olden  time  made  these  cliifs 
resound  with  the  war-whoop  and  song,  gives 
a  name  to  the  locality.  It  is  known  as  the 
''  Indian  Grave  Gap."  The  road  is  the  oldest 
in  the  county,  having  been  travelled  long  be- 
fore this  section  was  inhabited. 


The  Happy  Valley.  9 

'*  Half  drowned  in  sleepy  peace  it  lay, 
As  satiate  with  the  boundless  play 
Of  sunshine  in  its  green  array, 

And  clear  cut  hills  of  purple  hue. 
To  keep  it  safe,  rose  up  behind, 
As  with  a  charmed  ring  to  bind 
The  grassy  sea,  where  clouds  might  find 

A  place  to  bring  their  shadows  to." 

The  first  view  of  this  valley,  as  it  spreads 
out  before  the  eye  of  the  traveller  as  he  emer- 
ges from  the  woods,  is  sure  to  call  forth  feel- 
ings of  unbounded  admiration.  The  one  per- 
vading sentiment  of  this  lovely  spot  is  that  of 
peace.  The  sunlight  seems  to  lie  so  lovingly 
on  these  fields  and  to  bathe  them  with  its  rich- 
est gold.  Bird  voices  fill  the  air  all  the  day, 
and  when  night  throws  a  deeper  repose  over  the 
landscape,  the  plaintive  voice  of  the  whippor- 
will,  comes  in  with  its  minor  strain  to  make  the 
silence  and  quietude  as  it  were  audible. 

In  the  midst  sparkles  and  dances  on  the 
merry  Yadkin,  fresh  from  its  mountain  birth- 
pl-ace.  It  is  still  so  small  that  it  may  be  ford- 
ed in  places,  is  a  bright,  clear  stream,  and  sings 
joyfully  as  it  flows  past,  on  its  long  way  to  the 


lO  The   Happy    Valley. 

throbbing  sea.  Its  course  amid  the  wheat  and 
corn  fields  is  strongly  marked,  by  the  fringes 
of  shrub  and  tree  growth  upon  its  borders, 
and  there  is  also  a  realization  of  that  charming 
picture  of  the  poet,  "That  vale  in  whose 
bosom  the  bright  waters  meet." 

With  graceful  curve  and  sweep  the  ice-cold 
waters  of  Buffalo  creek  join  themselves  to  the 
Yadkin.  It  flows  down  through  a  most  roman- 
tic gorge,  the  high  banks  on  each  side  heavily 
wooded,  shading  the  water  from  the  sunlight 
which  has  already  tempered,  the  Yadkin  in  its 
flow,  as  it  basks  in  the  sun-rays  in  its  course 
through  the  valley.  Many  a  dignified  laurel 
blossom  has  bowed  and  nodded  demurely  at 
the  reflection  of  its  own  rosy  face  in  tlie  mirror- 
like stream,  and  lovely  ferns  sport  their  deli- 
cate fronds  coquettishly  at  the  waters'  edge. 

A  most  picturesque  mill  stands  upon  this 
creek,  just  before  the  "meeting  of  the  waters" 
takes  place.  Its  surroundings  are  wildly 
beautiful ;  hoary  rocks,  giant  trees,  and  an 
undergrowth  of  exquisite  variety  and  luxuri- 
ance combine  to  produce  a  rare  artistic  effect, 
and  the  loneliness  touches  one  like  poetry.     It 


The  Happy    Valley.  n 

is  fresh,  free  nature,  in  her  loveliest  mood, 
ready  to  hold  converse  with  the  heart  whose 
chords  are  tuned  in  sympathy. 

Here  every  season  has  its  peculiar  charms. 
The  spring- tide  comes  so  daintily,  robed  in 
the  tenderest  harmonies  of  color  ;  the  yellow, 
red,  green  and  giay,  through  all  their  most 
subtile  gradations,  as  the  young  leafage  puts 
forth  from  the  myriad  varieties  of  growth,  and 
on  every  liillside,  in  every  nook,  and  scattered 
broadcast  over  the  meadows,  the  trailing  arbu- 
tus, the  violets,  and  all  the  early  sisterhood  of 
lovely  flowrets,  stand  ready  with  their  per- 
fumed breath,  to  whisper  winning  words  of 
God  and  love. 

The  summer  advances  with  wealth  of  green- 
ery, piled  up,  piled  up  ;— one  feels  as  if  a  faded 
leaf  could  never  more  be  known  on  earth,  so 
full  and  perfect  does  everything  appear.  The 
skies  are  the  purest  azure,  and  the  air,  purple, 
velvety,  not  a  dim  haze  veiling  aught  from 
sight,  but  transparent,  yet  softening  the  near- 
est objects.  Then  the  gardens  teem  with  the 
full-bosomed,  glowing  roses,  and  the  humming 


3  2  The   Happy    Valley, 

of  the  bees  alone  breaks  in  upon  the  drowsy 
stillness. 

But  to  one  who  has  an  eye  for  bold,  vivid 
coloring,  this  valley  in  the  autumn  is  a  very 
Paradise  ;  scarlet,  crimson,  maroon,  orange, 
yellow  and  brown  stand  sharp  against  each 
other,  blazing  up  the  mountain  sides,  and 
covering  their  tops  with  glory,  all  intensified 
by  the  intermixture  of  the  emerald-green  pine. 

As  the  spring  suggests  the  thought  of  a  gen- 
tle maiden  attired  for  a  Ma}^  day  festival  in 
pale  blooms,  the  autumn  steps  down  the  vale 
like  a  haughty  brunette,  her  hair  bedecked 
with  scarlet,  her  proud  form  arrayed  in  gor- 
geous colors,  and  her  passionate  heart-throbs 
suffusing  her  rounded  cheeks  with  richest 
damask. 

Even  old  winter  lays  his  hand  right  gently 
here.  When  the  snow  covers  all,  as  it  does 
sometimes,  one  does  not  think  of  death,  as  is 
generally  the  wont,  but  as  of  a  child  in  its  spot- 
less bed,  smiling  in  sweet  sleep  at  pleasant 
dreams. 

Likewise  with  the  rising  and  the  setting  of 
the   sun  each  day.     In   the   morning  all   the 


The  Happy    Valley.  15 

eastern  slope  reposes  in  cool,  dense  shadow, 
while  the  range  of  mountains  that  lie  along  the 
west,  flame  and  blush  with  the  first  kisses  of 
the  sun,  and  as  the  day  declines  the  shadows 
fall  where  the  rosy  morning  light  has  lain,  and 
the  eastern  rampart  glows  and  shimmers  in 
the  evening  rays. 

Two  sunsets  in  the  year  are  particularly  no- 
ticable.  Looking  up  the  valley  from  old 
*'Fort  Defiance,"  the  point  at  which  the  inter- 
est of  his  little  narrative  centres,  the  peculiar 
form  of  the  *'  Table  Mountain  "  stands,  at  the 
end  of  the  vista,  against  the  sk}^  It  is  an  in- 
teresting and  curious  formation,  and  as  seen 
from  this  side,  fully  merits  its  name.  It  lifts 
its  head,  perfectly  square,  the  top  flat  and  level, 
and  the  precipices  on  each  side,  perpendicular 
to  the  depth  of  three  hundred  feet. 

On  two  evenings,  one  in  the  spring  and  one 
in  autumn,  the  sun  sets  directly  behind  this 
mountain  and  seems  for  a  few  moments  as  it 
were  to  rest  upon  its  summit,  a  very  shekinah 
of  radiance,  calling  up  recollections  of  the 
many  instances  recorded  in  Holy  Scripture  of 
supernatural  appearances  on  mountain  tops. 


14  The    Happy    Valley. 

And  so  the  days  and  seasons  fonie  and  go  in 
the  "Happy  Yalle^^"  Sometimes  a  storm 
comes  sweeping  down,  and  the  Hoods  follow 
and  spread  over  the  fair  fields,  and  wild  peals 
of  thunder  disturb  the  repose  of  the  scene  :  but 
this  is  the  exception.  The  memory  the  travel- 
ler or  visitor  takes  away  with  liim,  is  a  linger- 
ing sound  of  gentle  voices,  a  vision  of  kindl}^ 
faces  surrounded  by  birds  and  flowers,  and  an 
impression  of  unbroken  peace  and  beauty. 

Several  fine  old  southern  homes  are  scattered 
along  at  intervals  ;  homes  in  which  the  most 
generous  cheer,  dispensed  Avhh  the  largest 
hearted  hospitality,  was  always  to  be  found.  In 
years  gone  by  each  house  was  full  of  young 
people,  and  growing  children,  the  families  all 
linked  together  by  ties  of  kinship.  Life  there 
was  as  full  of  enjoyment  as  culture,  refinement, 
affection,  and  an  overflowing  abundance  of  the 
good  things  of  earth  could  make  it. 

But  alas,  the  "Happy  Valley"  is  only  an 
earthly  Eden,  and  change,  the  universal  lot  of 
all,  has  fallen  upon  its  dwellers.  The  blight 
of  war  fell  even  here,  and  the  tread  of  hostile 
armies  broke  the  peaceful  stillness,  and  left 


The   Happy   Valley.  15 

niLiny  a  bitter  track  behind.    The  young  friends 
and    relatives    who    grew    up    together,    have 

been 

"  Scattered 

Like  roses  in  bloom; 
Some  at  the  bridal, 
And  some  at  the  tomb." 

Some  laid  down  their  lives  upon  the  altar  of 
their  "  beloved  South/'  lighting  for  what  they 
deemed  the  right,  and  were  brought  back  fro  in 
the  battle  fields  by  tender  hands  to  sleep  be- 
neath the  green  sod  of  the  valley  they  loved  ; 
and  the  chances  and  changes  of  this  mortal 
life  have  removed  others  far  away  from  these 
cherished  scenes  of  their  childhood  and  youth. 

Still  each  house  is  held  and  occupied  by  de- 
scendants of  tlie  former  owners,  and  a  family 
feeling  and  warm  attachments  bind  all  to- 
gether. In  this  respect,  even  allowing  for  the 
many  sad  recollections  which  time  has  gath- 
ered there,  it  is  still  the  "  Happy  Valley." 


'A  brave  old  house  !    A  garden  full  of  "bees, 

Large  dropping  poppies,   and   queen  hollyhocks, 
With  butterflies  for  crowns, — tree  peonies 
And  pinks  and  goldilocks." 

HE  home  to  which  I  would  lead 
my  readers  is  known  by  the  very 
belligerent  and  bristling  cognomen 
of  "Fort  Defiance."  The  name  is  far  how- 
ever from  giving  any  idea  of  the  spirit  which 
pervades  it,  or  its  inmates  ;  but  is  derived 
from  an  old  fort  of  that  name  which  in  the 
early  history  of  our  country  did  service  in  the 
line  of  defence  erected  against  the  Indians.  It 
was  located  here  just  behind  the  spot  where  the 
residence  stands,  upon  the  edge  of  a  steep  set 
off,  at  the  foot  of  which  a  creek  flows.  The 
former  site  of  the  fort  is  now  the  graveyard; 
where  a  goodly  family  group,  members  of  four 
generations,  are  quietly  waiting  for  the  resur- 
rection. 


The   Happy    Valley.  17 

A  strange  fascination  clings  about  this  curi- 
ous old  house.  It  is  so  quaint  in  construction, 
and  the  air  about  it  seems  so  thick  with  memo- 
ries, that  one  cannot  help  loving  it,  though 
the  hand  of  Time,  and  his  faithful  follower, 
Decay,  has  been  laid  so  heavily  upon  it,  that  it 
is  neither  as  cheerful  or  comfortable  as  it  used 
to  be. 

In  the  centre  of  the  building  a  spacious 
room  running  through  the  entire  house,  from 
which  a  stairway  with  heavy  oaken  bannisters 
leads  up  to  the  second  floor,  is  called  "The 
Hall.''  A  large  fire-place,  with  pannelled 
work  above  and  around  it,  fills  up  one  end. 
In  the  corner  the  grim  old  clock  stands,  ruth- 
lessly ticking  away  the  hours,  and  days,  and 
years — ticking  slowly,  solemnly, — as  if  it  had 
upon  its  beating  heart  a  remembrance  of  the 
many  lives  it  has  seen  come  and  go  in  this  old 
home,  whose  hours  of  birth  and  death  have 
been  numbered  from  its  dial.  As  if  it  had 
gained  through  all  these  years,  watching  the 
fleeting  human  shadows  which  have  passed 
before  it,  a  sense  of  its  own  steadfastness,  and 
of  the  importance  of  its  mission. 
2 


1 8  The   Happy     Valley. 

It  takes  up  at  times  strange  voices.  Some- 
times with  monotonous  exactness  it  seems  to 
say, ''Coming — going — coming — going."  Again 
every  stroke  of  the  unwearied  pendulum  says 
*' Gone  —  gone  —  gone — gone.''  It  is  not  al- 
waj's  sad,  however,  for  ever  and  anon  there 
comes  a  period  wlien  it  calls  out,  "Happy — 
ha])py — happy — happy,''  — or,  ''  Praise — the 
Lord — Praise — the  Lord." 

It  is  as  it  were  the  heart  of  the  mansion, 
and  sensitive  to  the  influence  of  every  light 
and  shadow  that  passes  over  it,  while  it  regu- 
lates the  movements  of  the  active  life  within, 
a  life  that  must  be  ever  active,  no  matter 
who  comes  or  goes. 

This  "  Hall  "  has  been  largely  used  as  a  din- 
ing apartment,  although  the  family  dining-room 
at  present  is  to  the  right  of  it.  If  its  walls 
could  speak,  what  tales  they  could  tell  of  merry 
times  in  the  long  ago  :  of  the  family  reunions, 
of  the  Christmas  dinners,  the  birth-davs  and 
the  wedding  feasts  !  The  antique  sideboard, 
which  has  so  often  groaned  beneath  the  weight 
of  the  farm-house  dainties  piled  upon  it,  still 
keeps  its  place  near  the  old  clock  ;  there  seems 


The   Happy    Valley.  19 

to  be  a  kind  of  comradeship  between  them, 
as  if  they  could  say,  "  you  and  I,"  to  each 
other,  and  a  sort  of  stately,  old-time  spirit 
lingers  about  them  both. 

There  are  doors,  front  and  back,  leading  from 
the  '^Hall"  into  the  open  air. 

Behind  the  smaller  dining-room  is  a  bed- 
chamber, and  from  it  a  second  stairway  leads 
to  a  suite  of  rooms  above  ;  from  which  again  a 
stairway  rises  to  the  old  garret,  a  perfect 
curiosity  shop  in  its  way,  being  filled  with 
all  the  parapharnalia,  the  waifs  and  strays  of  a 
family  life  a  century  old. 

-  To  the  left  of  the  "  Hall"  is  the  parlor  with 
a  room  attached  to  it,  and  a  third  stairway  en- 
closed  and  winding,  with  odd  little  drawers  in 
the  wall  all  up  the  sides.  There  is  no  connec- 
tion  between  this  parlor  part  of  the  house  and 
the  rest,  except  by  way  of  the  piazza,  which 
stretches  the  whole  length  of  the  house,  fes- 
tooned with  trailing  vines,  grapes  and  roses. 
Neither  is  there  any  connection  on  the  second 
floor  between  the  apartments  to  which  the  three 
separate  stairways  lead.  The  modern  ideas  of 
convenience  find  no  place  here  in  this  respect, 


20  The    Happy    Valley. 

for  it  is  necessary  in  order  to  go  from  one 
room  to  another  just  beside  it,  to  come  down 
stairs,  go  out  on  the  porch,  and  up  another 
stairway.  The  kitchen  and  servants'  rooms 
are  detached  from  the  house,  as  is  the  usual 
custom  in  the  South. 

"  Roses  either  side  the  door,  are 
Growing  lithe  and  tall, 

Each  one  set,  a  summer  warder, 
For  the  keeping  of  the  hall — 

With  a  red  rose,  and  a  white  rose,- 
Leaning,  nodding  at  the  wall." 

From  the  central  door  a  wide  walk  leads 
out  through  the  garden.  It  is  bordered  on  each 
side  with  spacious  beds  of  flowers,  that  seem 
to  flourish  here  as  nowhere  else.  It  often  ap- 
pears as  if  flowers,  like  children,  can  recognize 
those  who  are  their  friends,  and  are  ready  to 
respond  to  the  sympathetic  touch  of  kindly 
fingers.  Surely  never  any  where  else  do  leaves 
unfold  and  buds  bloom  where  they  meet  with 
such  a  gracious,  loving  welcome  as  here. 

All  the  sweet  old-fashioned  flowers  find 
plenty  of  room.  The  old  spicy  pink,  the  sweet 
William,  tulips  and   hyacinths,  the  fragrant. 


The   Happy    Valley.  21 

single- white  being  the  family  favorite,  the  hol- 
lyhocks, the  jump-up-johnnies,  the  blue  corn- 
flowers, sweet  peas  and  poppies,  and  great 
olumps  of  annunciation  lilies  are  not  crowded 
out,  though  they  stand  in  close  proximity  to 
many,  very  many  of  the  new  and  more  preten- 
tious, though  generally  less  fragrant  blossoms ; 
and  in  winter  the  cold-pit  is  full  of  the  newest 
triumphs  of  floriculture.  As  the  ^' sweet  mo- 
ther ' '  wro  te, ' '  I  wish  you  could  see  our  pit.  It  is 
perfectly  ablaze  with  flowers.  The  laurestinus 
you  i-ecommended  has  been  a  pyramid  of  bloom 
all  the  season,  and  delighted  us  all  with  its 
delicious  perfume  ;  the  calla,  too,  has  five 
splendid  lilies  out  now." 

At  the  end  of  this  walk  is  a  secluded  nook, 
covered  and  shaded  by  century-old  cedars, 
dark  and  cool  at  the  hottest  mid-day,  and  jo- 
cosely called  by  the  family  *^The  Lovers'  Re- 
treat." Indeed  it  is  said  that  in  the  course  of 
events  several  engagements  have  taken  place 
in  this  romantic  and  cosy  corner.  Around  the 
entrance  roses  and  lilac  bushes  flourish,  while 
in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  on  every  side  the 
eye  is  gladdened  by  the  clean,  pure  faces  of 


22  The   Happy    Valley. 

the  morning-glories,  which  run  in  mad  riot 
over  everything. 

Of  course,  to  those  who  have  lived  here  so 
long,  this  garden  is  haunted  ground,  peopled 
to  their  loving  ken  with  fonns  that  others  see 
not.     Among  them  there  is  one,  a 

"Little  maid  witli  wondrous  eyis, 
Not  afraid,  but  clear  and  tender, 
Blue,  and  filled  with  prophecies,'' 

as  she  looked  dreamily  out  at  "  life's  unlifted 
veil,"  whose  lovely,  happy  life  was  interwoven 
with  its  flower-life,  like  warp  and  woof. 

Looking  out  beyond  the  garden  bounds,  on 
to  the  mountains,  green  pastures,  rich  harvest 
fields,  and  quiet  solemn  woodlands  lie. 

To  the  right  the  ground  descends  rapid  y  to 
the  same  little  stream  of  wnt^r  before  spoken 
of  as  running:  dovrn  below  the  family  burying 
ground.  It  flows  through  the  barn-yard,  giv- 
ing drink,  brii2:ht  and  fresh  and  clear,  to  the 
many  full-uddered  cows  gathered  therein.  It 
is  like  a  sweet  idyl — 


The  Happy  Valley.  23 

"The  lovely  laughter  of  the  wiud-swept  wheat, 
The  easy  slope  of  yonder  pastoral  hill, 
The  sedgy  brook  whereby  the  red  kiue  meet, 
And  wade  and  drink  their  fill." 

Beside  this  stream  there  stands  several 
large  old  beech  trees,  with  great  overhanging 
branches,  and  the  white  roots,  with  their  mnl- 
titudinous  arms  stretched  and  intertwined  in 
the  most  fantastic  w^ay.  They  have  a  weird, 
elfish  look,  especially  by  moonlight. 

"  On  the  left  the  sheep  are  cropping 

The  slant  grass  and  daisies  pale. 
And  the  apple  trees  stand  dropping 

Separate  shadows  toward  the  vale; 
Over  which,  in  choral  silence. 

The  hills  look  you  their  '  All  Hail!'  " 

Just  behind  the  house,  between  it  and  the 
garden,  stands  a  huge  catalpa  tree.  The  old 
giant  has  basked  in  many  a  summer  sun,  and 
braved  many  a  storm,  and  is  now  yielding  to 
the  gnawing  tooth  of  time.  An  aged  grape 
vine  throws  its  snake-like  form  up  the  trunk 
and  around  its  branches,  and  gracefully  inter- 
twines its  leaves  and  sprays  with  the  large, 
plain  leaves  of  the  tree.     Near  its  base  is  a 


24  The   Happy    Valley, 

hole  decayed  in  the  trunk,  where  a  huge  limb 
has  broken  off,  in  which  a  hen  once  made  her 
nest  and  hatched  a  volunteer  brood  of  chick- 
ens. 

Through  how  many  experiences  and  changes 
the  old  tree  has  watched  beside  the  mansion  ! 
Its  leaves  have  clapped  their  hands  and  rip- 
pled with  laughter  at  the  frolics  of  the  young 
and  gay  who  so  enjoyed  a  sojourn  here,  and 
when  the  pall  of  sadness  has  fallen  upon  the 
old  home,  the  winds  have  sighed  a  requiem 
through  its  branches. 

Several  smaller  houses  are  grouped  about, 
in  one  of  which  stands  the  loom,  where  won- 
drously  fine  fabrics  are  woven  by  hand.  Not 
only  the  jeans  and  linseys  of  the  country,  but 
fine  dimities,  and  table  and  bed  linen ;  also 
tasteful  carpets.  Though  in  these  days  of 
steam  machinery,  goods  could  probably  be 
bought  cheaper  than  they  can  be  thus  manu- 
factured at  home,  and  very  much  trouble  saved 
by  it,  still  so  many  of  the  poor  people  around 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  depending  on  the  old 
home  for  their  subsistence  in  these  various 
industries,  that  the  gentle  mistress  feels  it  her 


The  Happy    Valley.  25 

duty  to  keep  up  the  old  customs,  though  it  is 
of  times  a  tax  upon  her  strength  and  energies 
almost  beyond  their  powers  of  endurance. 

In  front  of  the  house  is  a  row  of  grand  old 
spruce  pines.  They  are  yet  strong  and  vigor- 
ous, and  are  magnificent  in  form,  and  solemn 
and  stately  in  their  intensely  dark  green  foli- 
age. One  of  them  v/as  riven  from  top  to  bot- 
tom by  a  thunderbolt  a  few  years  since. 

The  mansion  was  built  by  Gen.  William 
Lenoir,  nearly  one  hundred  years  ago,  the 
work  of  construction  being  commenced  about 
1785.  It  was  a  laborious  undertaking  in  those 
days.  The  frame  is  of  heavy  oaken  timber, 
and  still  in  a  state  of  excellent  preservation. 
Gen.  Lenoir  at  that  time  lived  in  a  smaller 
house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The 
nails  were  made  by  hand,  by  the  blacksmith 
on  his  plantation,  and  the  most  of  the  lumber 
was  sawed  with  a  whip  saw. 

The  cornice,  which  still  adorns  the  eaves, 
and  the  looking-glasses,  were  ordered  from 
Liverpool.  They  were  received  at  the  port  of 
Charleston,  and  hauled  all  the  long  way  in 
road  wagons. 


26  The   Happy    Valley. 

He  was  bom  in  Virginia.  His  father  was  a 
French  Huguenot,  a  sea  captain,  and  owner  of 
his  own  vessel.  It  went  down  in  the  raging 
waters,  carrying  the  gallant  captain  with  it  to 
a  seaman's  grave. 

He  was  rather  a  stern  man,  of  dignified  de- 
meanor, but  it  has  been  said  of  him  that  in  his 
intercourse  with  women  his  manners  were  like 
those  of  the  knights  of  the  olden  time,  and  he 
was  exceedingly  kind  to  the  poor.  His  doors 
were  always  open  to  receive  the  traveller,  as 
there  were  no  taverns  in  the  country  in  those 
primitive  days.  Perhaps  the  best  account 
that  could  be  given  of  his  life  is  contained  in 
the  epitaph  upon  his  tombstone.  This  is 
more  elaborate  than  his  family  would  have 
wished,  but  the  stone  was  ordered  from  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  as  such  a  thing  could 
not,  of  course,  be  obtained  in  the  mountains, 
and  the  matter  of  the  inscription  was  left  to 
some  of  his  friends,  his  associates  in  public 
life.  This  is  ilieir  estimate  of  him,  and  their 
tribute  to  his  memory. 


The   Happy    Valley.  27 

iif:re   lies 

All  that  is  mortal  of 

WILLIAM     LENOIR. 

Born,  May  8th,  1751. 

Died,  May  6th,  1839. 

''In  the  times  that  tried  men's  souls  he  was  a  genuine- 
Whig. 

"As  a  lieutenant  under  Rutherford  aud  Williams,  in  1776, 
and  as  a  captain  under  Cleaveland  at  King's  Mountain,  he 
proved  himself  a  brave  soldier.  Although  a  native  of 
another  State,  yet  North  Carolina  was  proud  of  him  as  her 
adopted  son.  In  her  service  he  filled  the  several  ofiices  of 
Major -General  of  the  Militia,  President  of  the  Council  of 
State,  member  of  both  houses  of  the  Legislature,  Speaker 
of  the  Senate,  First  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  University,  and  for  6Q  years  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
Chairman  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  In  all  these  high 
public  trusts  he  was  found  faithful.  In  private  life  he  was 
no  less  distinguished  as  an  afi'ectionate  husband,  a  kind 
father  and  a  warm-hearted  friend.  The  traveller  will  long 
remember  his  hospitality,  and  the  poor  bless  him  as  their 
benefactor.  Of  such  a  man  it  may  truly  be  said  that  his 
highest  eulogy  is  the  record  of  his  deeds." 

A  very  interesting  incident  in  connection 
with  the  battle  of  Kings  Mountain  is  related 
by  the  family. 

When  the  call  came  for  recruits,  as  Major 


28  The   Happy    Valley, 

Ferguson,  of  the  British  army,  was  coming  up 
the  country  with  his  command,  intending  to 
embody  and  organize  the  Loyalists  beyond  the 
Wateree  and  Broad  Kivers,  and  to  intercept 
the  mountain  men  who  were  retreating  from 
Camden,  every  man  who  had  a  horse  started 
for  the  scene  of  action.  William  Lenoir  w^as 
then  living  in  Wilkes  Co.,  and  joined  the 
forces  under  Cleaveland.  He  was  made  a  cap- 
tain, and  his  two  iriends,  Herndon,  and  Jesse 
Franklin,  afterward  Governor  of  the  State,  had 
also  some  official  appointments.  These  three 
made  a  compact  together  that  they  would 
stand  by  and  succ*  -r  each  other  in  whatever 
circumstances  they  might  be  placed. 

As  the  command  was  going  up  the  moun- 
tain, there  came  a  man  ))eck()iiing  and  calling, 
"Back,  back!"  and  he  pointed  out  another 
way  whicli  they  took,  and  that  proved  to 
have  been  the  onl}'  way  by  wliich  Ferguson 
could  have  escai)ed.  The  man  was  quite  un- 
known, had  never  been  seen  by  any  of  them 
before,  and  was  nevei-  seen  afterwards.  Gen. 
Lenoir  always  said  it  was  a  providential  inter- 
ference ;  that  it  was  God's  will  that  the  federal 


The  Happy    Valley.  29 

forces  should  be  triumphant,  and  so  He  led 
them  by  the  right  way  to  cut  off  the  enemy's 
only  chance  of  escape. 

There  is  also  treasured  up  in  tlie  old  home 
an  English  officer's  sword,  that  Gen.  Lenoir 
picked  up  and  brought  home  with  him  from  the 
battle  field.  It  has  a  fine  keen  blade,  upon 
which  is  engraved  this  legend,  in  Spanish  : 
"  Draw  me  not  without  reason, 
Sheathe  me  not  without  honor." 

His  wife  was  of  an  aristocratic  English  family, 
and  a  thorough  Church  woman.  She  was  so 
situated  in  life  that  she  was  cut  off  from  all 
Church  association.  But  though  true  to  her 
Church,  and  never  uniting  with  any  of  the  de- 
nominations around  her,  she  had  a  large  and 
loving  heart,  full  of  generous  impulses,  giving 
out  its  affection  to  all  who  called  themselves 
Christian.  She  was  so  amiable  and  good  that 
her  children  used  to  say,  "Mother  not  only 
forgives  an  injury,  but  really  and  truly  for- 
gets." 

She  was  a  cripple,  and  walked  on  crutches 
for  the  last  ten  years  of  her  life  ;  but  she  was 
always  contented  and  cheerful. 


30  The    Happy    Valley, 

A  grandson  of  tliis  wortliy  couple  is  now  the 
owner  of  the  venerable  home.  Many  a  time 
has  the  qnesrion  of  building  a  new  house  and 
pulling  down  rlie  old  one  been  discussed ; 
but  as  desirable  as  the  new  one  appears  to  be. 
when  it  comes  to  look  the  matter  of  tearing 
away  the  old  roof-tree  squarely  in  the  face, 
all  shrink  from  ir.  So  it  stands  on.  Angels 
have  come  and  gone  from  its  dooi's  many  a 
time  before,  but  now  it  has  been  flooded  anew 
with  glory,  freshly  consecrated,  made  as  it 
were  a  place  of  transfiguration,  a  spot  where 
sinful  mortals  might  well  take  oflf  the  shoes 
from  their  feet,  feeling  that  the  place  is  indeed 
holy  ground. 

A  calm  silence  reigns  in  the  household,  and 
two  pictured  faces  upon  the  wall  alone  tell  of 
the  gentle  souls  that  have  departed  :  but  they 
left  behind  them  a  track  of  light,  leading  the 
desolated  hearts  up  from  the  beautiful  Valley 
to  the  city  of  Jerusalem  the  Golden  ;  from  the 
dear  old  home  so  weather-worn  and  decaying, 
to  the  "  one  only  mansion,  the  Paradise  of 
joy." 


The   Happy    Valley. 


31 


"Jesus  in  mercy  briug  us, 
To  that  dear  land  of  rest. 

Who  art  with  God  the  Father, 
And  Spirit,  ever  blest." 


"Face  and  figure  of  a  child — 
Though  too  calm,  you  think,  and  tender, 
For  the  childhood  you  would  lend  her. 

"Yet  child  simple,  undefiled, 
Frank,  obedient — waiting  still, 
On  the  turnings  of  your  will ; 

"  And  her  smile  it  seems  half  holy, 
As  if  drawn  from  thoughts  more  far 
Than  our  com.mon  jestings  are. 

"  And  if  any  poet  knew  her. 
He  would  think  of  her  with  falls 
Used  in  lovely  madrigals. 

"  And  if  reader  read  the  poem, 
He  would  whisper — 'You  have  done  a 
Consecrated  little  Una.'  " 


THE     VALLEY     OF    LIFE, 

"  There  are  buds  that  fold  within  them, 
Closed  and  covered  from  our  sight, 
Many  a  richly-tinted  petal, 
Never  looked  on  by  the  light ; 

Fain  to  see  their  shrouded  faces, 
Sun  and  dew  are  long  at  strife. 

Till  at  length  the  sweet  buds  open — 
Such  a  bud  is  life. " 


N  the  fondly  clierislied  old  home  of 
which  we  have  spoken,  three  little 
fair-headed  boys  had  already  gath- 
ered around  the  hearthstone,  when  upon  the 
15th  of  December,  1866,  the  blue  eyes  of  a  little 
daughter  opened  to  light  and  life.  It  was 
a  welcome,  jDrecious  gift,  and  was  received  with 
joy  and  thankfulness. 

The  little  one  grew  on,  gaining  in  strength  and 

beauty  until  on  the  26th  of  June,  1867,  she  was 

presented  for  Holy  Baptism.     She  was  given 

the  name  of  Louisa  Avery,  the  maiden  name 

3 


34  The   Happy    Valley. 

of  her  papa's  sainted  mother,  which  was  ab- 
breviated in  the  household  parlance  to  Loula. 

Her  "sweet  mother,"  whose  confirmation 
took  place  the  same  day,  says  of  her — "I 
never  gave  a  child  to  the  dear  Lord  moi-e 
heartily.'- 

It  was  an  interesting  scene,  as  the  venerable 
Bishop,  himself,  looking  all  an  apostle  with  his 
stately  presence,  and  who  always  comes  to 
these  scattered  sheep,  with  so  much  of  tender- 
ness and  fatherly  affection,  took  her  in  his 
arms. 

She  went  to  him  with  evident  pleasure,  and 
as  the  Holy  Rite  proceeded,  she  looked  up 
lovingly  into  the  Bishop's  face,  and  patted  his 
cheek  caressingly.  When  he  poured  the  water 
over  the  fair  baby  brow,  she  clapped  her  tiny 
hands  and  shouted  aloud,  as  if  she  had  already 
gained  the  victory. 

Can  it  be  that  attendant  spirits  whispered  of 
the  sunny  life  and  radiant  death  that  awaited 
her,  that  she  should  seem  thus  exultant  at  the 
starting  point  of  her  Christian  career. 

As  the  months  rolled  by  in  her  little  life, 
slowly  gathering  into  years,  she  increased  in 


The    Valley  of  Life.  35 

loveliness.  She  had  wide  open  eyes,  and  a 
self-poised,  fearless  nature,  from  her  earliest 
infancy.  She  never  was  afraid  of  any  one, 
would  go  to  any  kindly  hand  outstretched  to 
take  her,  was  never  cross  or  fretful,  and  gave 
very  little  trouble,  and  a  great  deal  of  comfort. 
Good  health  and  her  mental  characteristics 
combined  to  make  her  a  veritable  sunbeam  in 
the  household,  a  well-spring  of  delight  to  all 
about  her. 

She  even  in  her  earliest  days  showed  indica- 
tions of  the  gentle  consideration  for  others 
which  was  a  marked  feature  of  her  individual- 
ity all  through  her  life. 

It  is  related  of  her  that  when  she  was  about 
ten  months  old,  her  papa  had  a  number  of 
hands  on  the  place,  moving  a  house.  The 
nurse  walked  out  with  the  babe  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  and  to  watch  the  operations  of 
the  workmen,  all  white,  save  one  good  old 
black  man. 

They  all  noticed  the  lovely  child,  and  came 
and  talked  to  her,  and  then  kissed  her.  She 
kissed  them  all  willingly  until  she  came  to  the 
black  man,  and  then  she  drew  back,   but  at 


36  The  Happy  Valley. 

once  she  seemed  to  feel  that  her  refusal  might 
give  him  pain,  and  to  show  her  good  will  and 
that  she  was  sorry  about  it,  she  put  both  her 
little  hands  on  his  face  and  tenderly  stroked 
it. 

She  always  manifested  this  thoughtfulness 
both  in  joy  and  sorrow.  Even  her  pet  animals 
were  not  overlooked.  She  desired  S3^mpathy 
herself  and  she  wanted  to  sympathize  with 
every  living  thing. 

Once,  soon  after  she  began  to  walk  and  talk, 
she  saw  her  uncle  coming,  of  whom  she  was 
very  fond.  She  ran  fast  as  slie  could  to  meet 
him,  but  seeing  her  pet  cat  running  too,  she 
stopped  a  moment  to  put  her  arms  around  his 
neck  and  say — "  Tom,  AVallie  has  turn — is  you 
gad?"  And  then  she  went  on  so  cheerily,  all 
the  happier  that  she  had  not  overlooked  poor 
pussie,  in  her  own  delight.  It  was  no  wonder 
that  the  affectionate  cheerful  little  creature, 
became  so  inexpressibly  dear,  not  only  to  the 
family  circle,  but  to  relatives  and  neighbors, 
to  all  indeed  who  knew  her. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1869,  God  sent  the 
little  sister  who  was  henceforth  to  be  the  joy 


The    Valley   of  Life,  ^y 

of  her  life.  This  babe  was  of  quite  a  different 
type,  of  an  exceeding!}^  delicate,  nervous  or- 
ganization, sensitive  and  shy  in  an  uncommon 
degree.  She  was  quite  a  contrast  to  the  brave 
baby  Lou  la. 

The  rector  of  the  parish  baptized  her,  July 
18th,  1869,  by  the  name  of  Elizabeth,  which 
was  soon  contracted  to  Bessie  or  Bess. 

The  dear  lamb  behaved  very  sweetly,  making 
no  objection  when  the  rector  took  her  in  his 
arms,  and  smiled  when  the  sin- cleansing  waters 
flowed  over  her  forehead  and  she  was  signed  as 
one  of  Christ's  flock.  Truly  the  ''Seal  of 
Heaven"  was  on  both  of  these  little  ones 
*'  from  their  birth."  That  all  must  allow  who 
can  look  back,  and  see  them  as  they  walked 
hand  in  hand  through  life's  valley,  the  peace 
of  God  in  their  hearts,  and  the  silver  cross,  the 
mark  of  the  redeemed,  always  shining  to 
angel  ken,  upon  their  fair  white  brows. 

In  her  babyhood  the  little  Bessie  was  a  per- 
fect mimosa  plant,  shrinking  from  the  touch  of 
even  the  friendliest  hand  that  was  not  of  the 
home  circle.  No  entreaty,  no  playful  wile 
could    tempt   her  from    her    mother's    arms. 


38  The   Happy    Valley, 

After  all  plans  that  ingenuity  could  invent  had 
been  tested,  one  would  be  obliged  to  leave  her 
there,  where  only  she  appeared  perfectly  at 
rest,  with  her  head  lying  on  her  mother's- 
shoulder,  nestled  closely,  looking  shyly  out  at 
you  from  her  half-veiled  eyes,  the  long  dark 
lashes  probably  moistened  wirh  tears ;  and 
though  one  could  not  but  lov.^  tiie  tender  little 
creature,  still  this  peculiarity  prevented  her 
from  being  such  a  general  favorite  as  the  frank,, 
merry  Loula. 

The  lirst  years  of  her  life,  her  nerves  being  sO' 
excitable,  it  followed  in  natural  consequence 
that  her  health  was  uncertain,  and  the  frail 
delicate  blossom  needed  watchful  and  ever 
fostering  care.  She  loved  all  her  home  folk  s, 
but  the  dear  mother  and  little  sister  were  the 
tiny  baby's  special  delight  — to  rest  in  the 
arms  of  one,  and  watch  the  gambols  of  the 
other,  her  state  of  entire  satisfaction  and  en- 
joyment. And  so  their  gentle  lives  rolled  on 
until  they  grew  large  enough  to  play  out  of 
doors,  when  a  new  world  of  happiness  was 
opened  to  them  in  the  llower-life  of  the  dear 
old  garden,  and  with  which  they  became  so- 


The    Valley   of  Life.  39 

identified,  Loula  especially,  that  recollections 
of  them  are  indissolnbly  interwoven  with  each 
plant  and  bush  and  fragrant  bloom. 

Gradually  Bessie  gained  in  strength,  and 
they  were  so  very  happy  together  at  their  in- 
nocent play;  though,  through  her  earlier  years, 
she  always  liked  to  keep  the  "sweet  mother" 
in  sight  if  possible.  They  were  not  at  any  time 
of  their  lives,  or  in  any  sense  like  the  morbid, 
prematurely  wise  children  we  read  of  ;  they 
were  just  like  other  children  except  in  an 
under  current  of  religious  feeling,  which  was 
certainly  remarkable. 

They  were  trained  as  soon  as  they  could 
understand,  to  know  and  believe  that  they 
were  God's  children.  Christian  children  by 
virtue  of  their  baptism,  signed  and  sealed  to 
His  loving  service,  and  they  always  rested  in 
that  belief.  Probably  no  shadow  of  a  doubt 
ever  crossed  their  minds  but  that  they  were  in 
very  truth  and  reality  the  lambs  of  the  Good 
Shepherd. 

They  were  led  daily  to  bow  upon  their  knees, 
and  make  their  wants  known  to  their  Heaven- 
ly Father,  and  they  loved  to  pray.     Although 


40  The  Happy    Valley. 

living  in  such  an  isolated  position  that  they 
were  deprived  of  the  educating  influence  of  the 
continued  services  of  the  Church,  service  beinor 
held  in  the  Yalley  only  once  in  each  month, 
still  they  were  kept  in  constant  remembrance 
of  the  teachings  of  the  Churcli  ;  as  the  "sweet 
mother"  ever}^  Lord's  Day,  with  lier  boys 
around  her,  went  over  the  Psalter  and  Lessons 
and  Catechism,  doing  all  that  could  be  done  to 
make  up  for  the  want  of  sanctuary  privileges 
which  she  so  deeply  deplored  ;  taking  for  them 
the  Church  papers,  making  them  soldiers  of 
Dr.  Twing's  "Army,"  keeping  the  mite  chest 
in  sight,  and  celebrating  with  them  the  festi- 
vals of  the  Holy  Year.  They  took  great  inter- 
est in  the  sufferings  and  patience  of  ''Doris," 
and  were  loving  and  frequent  contributors  to 
the  "Churchman's  Cot." 

It  was  a  touching  sight  and  a  fearful  I'eproof 
to  those  who  live  so  neglectfully  within  sound 
of  the  church  bells,  to  see  how  a  cliurch  life 
was  maintained  in  this  home,  so  far  away  in  this 
quiet  valley.  And  the  Great  Head  of  the 
Church  has  accepted  and  blessed  the  effort,  in 
showing  what  a  gracious  influence  the  training 


The    Valley   of  Life,  41 

exerted  on  these  little  ones,  giving  to  them, 
even  in  their  early  years,  fully  rounded  and 
healthily  developed  Christian  characters. 

There  are  surely  no  ways  so  certain  in  their 
final  ending  as  the  patlis  laid  out  for  little  feet 
to  walk  in  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church.  Would  not  the  germ  of  spiritual  life 
imparted  at  Baptism,  grow  and  flourish  and 
bring  forth  fruit  with  more  certainty,  if  mothers 
felt  their  resiDonsibility  more  earnestly,  and 
kept  day  by  day  closely  in  the  good  old  ways, 
as  they  lead  their  little  ones  on  in  the  paths 
of  Christian  duty  ? 

These  darlings  too,  by  the  circumstances  that 
surrounded  them,  were  cut  off  from  the  contam- 
inating influences  of  society.  Their  lives  were 
pure  and  bright  as  that  of  the  birds  that  flitted 
and  sang  around  them  ;  they  knew  nothing  of 
the  feverish  excitements  that  sap  out  the  phys- 
ical vitality  of  city  children,  and  brush  the  love- 
ly purple  bloom  from  off  the  fruit  of  their  lives. 
Fashion,  late  hours,  and  glare  of  gas,  were  all 
unknown  to  them.  They  knew  no  pleasures 
but  such  as  were  life-giving  to  soul  and  body. 
The  light  in  which  they  revelled,  was  that  of 


42  The   Happy    Valley, 

God's  blessed  sunshine  ;  their  laces  and  jewels 
were  buds  and  flowers,  and  their  dance  the  gay 
romp  on  the  green  grass,  with  the  bird  voices 
for  music.  Ah,  was  not  the  life  path  for  them 
indeed  laid  through  a  Happy  Valley  ? 

As  Loula  grew  she  developed  the  most  in- 
tense love  for  flowers;  tliey  appeared  to  be  liv- 
ing things  to  her  ;  she  drank  in  their  s})irit  and 
understood  the  sentiments  they  breathed.  She 
w^ould  stand  with  dreamy  eyes  gazing  upon  a 
pure  white  lily,  or  would  seem  to  be  touched 
with  a  rapturous  exstacy  by  the  crimson  petals 
of  arose— and  again  she  would  laugh  and  shout 
in  merry  glee  at  the  quaint  faces  of  the  ])ansies 
or  the  funny  little  hooded  visages  of  the  sweet 
peas.  One  could  fancy  that  like  "Eva  the  sin- 
less child"  of  the  old  poem,  she  saw  the  flower 
spirits  and  lived  and  loved  and  laughed  and 
talked  with  them. 

She  flitted  about  the  garden  like  a  humming 
bird,  searching  around  every  plant  and  bush, 
and  was  the  flrst  to  spy  a  new  bud  coming,  or 
a  flower  unfolded,  and  then  she  would  come 
bounding  in  the  house  with  the  intelligence, 
her  clear  bright  eyes  aglow  with  pleasure,  and 


The    Valley  of  Life,  43 

some  one  had  to  go  out  to  enjoy  the  new-found 
treasure  with  her. 

In  the  sprmg  of  1873  the"  sweet  mother"  being 
very  much  out  of  health,  she  went  to  pass  some 

time  at   her   father's  house  at   E ,  and  be 

under  the  care  of  a  physician  there.  Loula 
was  at  this  time  a  little  more  than  six  years 
old,  and  accompanied  her  mother  and  cousin, 
while  four-year-old  Bessie  was  left  at  home  in 
the  care  of  her  loving  auntie. 

They  feared  the  little  one  would  grieve  over- 
muclij  but  she  did  not.  She  attached  herself 
closely  to  her  papa,  following  him  everywhere, 
would  expect  him  to  carry  her  where  the  way 
was  too  long  or  too  rough  for  little  feet,  and 
was  particularly  delighted  at  being  set  upon 
the  plough  when  the  men  were  ploughing. 

Her  papa  put  a  little  calf  in  the  yard  for  her 
amusement,  and  in  playing  with  it  she  took 
the  greatest  satisfaction.  She  talked  to  it  as  if 
it  were  another  child,  and  the  animal  became 
devoted  to  the  frail  little  girl.  This  calf  was 
sent,  as  is  the  custom  in  that  section,  up  to  the 
mountain  pastures  for  the  summer.  Here  it  ran 
for  months  and  became  very  wild,  but  when  it 


44  The    Happy    Valley. 

was  brought  home  again  in  the  autumn  it  re- 
cognized its  playmate  of  the  spring-time,  and 
was  entirely  gentle  to  her,  letting  her  lead  it 
about  wherever  she  wished. 

The  visit  to  E ,  the  companionship  of  the 

several  families  of  little  cousins,  and  the  many 
delights  that  a  child  always  finds  in  the  home 
of  its  grandparents.  Lulu  enjoyed  to  the  full  ; 
but  amid  all  she  found  work  to  do  for  her  dear 
Saviour. 

While  she  was  staying  at  the  house  of  her 
aunt,  a  little  boy,  a  child  of  one  of  the  tenants 
on  the  place,  would  persist  in  coming  in  the 
3^ard  to  play  with  Loula  and  her  cousins.  He 
was  a  fine  stout-looking  child,  but  very  bad 
and  disobedient.  He  was  forbidden  to  come 
there,  but  he  was  determined  to  be  with  Loula, 

and  no  commands  of  Mrs.   C ,   the  lady  of 

the  house,  or  threats  from  his  mother,  could 
keep  him  away. 

Loula  was  always  gentle  and  kind  to  him, 
and  although  her  mother  had  every  confidence 
in  her  little  girl,  still  she  could  not  help,  know- 
ing what  a  naughty  child  he  was,  feeling  some- 
what worried  at  xXwxx  being  so  much  together. 


The   Valley  of  Life.  45 

Day  after  day  they  would  go  away  together 
for  a  time,  the  family  knew  not  where,  until 

finally  Loula's  mamma  sent  her  cousin  L 

to  seek  for  them  and  see  what  they  were  doing. 
After  some  search  she  heard  their  voices  in  a 
room  in  a  distant  corner  of  the  house.  She  lis- 
tened quietly  to  hear  what  they  were  talking 
about,  and  she  heard  Loula  telling  poor  little 
Jim  about  the  blessed  Jesus,  how  He  came 
down  from  His  beautiful  home,  how  He  lived 
with  the  people  in  this  world,  hoAv  He  loved 
little  children  if  they  were  good,  and  how  He 
died.  — Jim  listened  as  if  entranced  while  she 
so  sweetly  and  earnestly  told  him  the  old,  old 
story. 

Of  course,  the  listener  withdrew  and  left  the 
child  to  her  saintly  work.  Still  day  after  day 
he  came,  and  they  went  away  together,  doubt- 
less to  recount  the  same  beautiful  story  over 
and  over  again.  No  one  spoke  to  Loula  about 
it.  She  however  told  her  mother  one  day  that 
poor  little  Jim  never  heard  of  Jesus  until  she 
told  him  of  Him. 

After  they  returned  home,  they  received  news 
of  his  sudden  death.    He  died  of  croup  after  a 


46  The   Happy    Valley. 

very  short  illness.  Loula  seemed  so  very  glad 
and  thankful  that  she  had  done  what  she  could 
for  the  ignorant  child,  and  said  with  much  pleas- 
ure, "Mother,  I  am  so  glad  I  told  him  about  Je- 
sus, and  that  I  read  to  him  in  that  little  **Pee}) 
of  Day"  book  at  aunty's,  about  God."' 

During  this  sojourn  at  E ,  she  was  invit- 
ed by  two  of  her  cousins  to  a  dolls"  tea  party. 
The  mother  of  the  little  cousins  had  baked 
cakes  for  them,  and  the  table  was  very  prettily 
set  out.  After  they  had  taken  their  seats,  and  aU 
was  settled  in  order,  the  litt'.egiris  began,  tak- 
ing pattern  probably  from  what  they  had  heard 
older  folks  say  on  similar  occasions,  to  apolo- 
gize for  their  cakes,  and  other  things,  finding 
fault  with  them,  wishing  they  were  better,  and 
the  like  expressions.  Loula  seemed  troubled, 
and  said  in  her  sweet  direct  way,  ' '  Oh,  I  think 
it  is  all  so  nice  ;"  and  then,  the  tears  coming 
in  her  blue  eyes,  in  the  midst  of  all  her  happi- 
ness, she  said,  "  Just  think,  there  are  so  many 
poor  little  children  who  would  be  so  glad  to 
get  these  good  things,  who  never  have  any- 
thing like  it  in  all  their  lives." 

These  incidents  show  her  tender  feeling  for 


The   Valley  of  Life.  47 

others  less  favored  than  herself,  both  in  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  things  ;  always  thoughtful 
of  others,  always  unconscious  of  self.  This 
perfect  forge tfulness  of  herself  was  a  marked 
characteristic,  and  it  gave  her  a  quiet  dignity 
and  self-possession  of  manner  that  was  very 
charming. 

On  her  seventh  birthday  her  mamma  gave 
her  a  little  book  entitled,  ''Heavenward Paths 
for  Little  Feet.'"  This  book  was  ever  after 
her  daily  companion,  and  when  her  mamma 
was  too  unwell  to  go  with  her,  she  would  take 
her  littie  sister  by  the  hand,  and  the  two 
precious  ones  would  go  to  their  devotions, 
Loula  reading  the  lessons  and  the  prayers. 

One  time,  not  long  after  the  book  was  given 
her,  she  was  quite  ill  for  a  short  tim^,  and  she 
surprised  her  mother,  by  repeating  so  many 
appropriate  verses  from  it,  when  she  had  not 
the  least  idea  the  child  had  learned  them. 
"Mother,"  she  said,  "  the  verses  in  my  little 
book  are  very  beautiful.  I  have  been  think- 
ing of  them." 


48  The  Happy    Valley, 

**Tis  Jesus  sends  us  sickness, 
So  when  in  pain  or  ill, 
I'll  try  to  bear  it  meekly, 
Because  it  is  His  will. 

"I'll  think  of  Him  who  suffered 
Upon  the  cross  for  me, 
Can  I  not  bear  a  little, 

My  blessed  Lord,  for  Thee  ? 

*'  It  is  Thy  love  that  makes  me 
To  leave  my  merry  play. 
To  lie  here  still  and  quiet, 

And  give  up  my  own  "way, 

*'Lord  Jesus,  give  me  patience, 
Lord  Jesus,  give  me  love, 
Lord  Jesus,  give  hereafter 
A  life  with  Thee  above.'' 

Later  in  the  evening  she  said,  "Mother,  these 
verses  are  so  beautiful : 

"Through  the  night  Thy  Presence  cheers  us, 
In  Thy  shadow  may  we  sleep, 

That  no  evil  may  come  near  us. 
Watch  let  angels  round  us  keep. 

"In  Thine  arms,  O  Father,  lying, 
Safe  and  blessed  may  we  be. 

Sleeping  as  we  would  be  dying, 
With  our  faces  turned  to  Thee." 


The   Valley   of  Life,  49 

'^That  is  so  beautiful,  mother, 

'  With  our  faces  turned  to  Thee:  " 

Her  mother  was  coniiiied  to  her  bed  for 
many  months  by  illness,  and  every  day  she 
would  bring  her  little  book  to  read  and  pray 
by  her  bedside.  No  matter  who  was  in  the 
room,  she  had  no  self-consciousness  ;  she  went 
on  quietly  with  her  usual  directness  of  aim, 
allowing  nothing  to  interfere  or  to  divert  her 
from  the  performance  of  her  duty. 

There  are  touching  reminiscences  connected 
with   her  ministrations  and  instructions  to  a 

poor  old  woman,  Chaney  A ,  who  lived  in 

a  cabin  on  her  father's  plantation,    and  did 
spinning  and  knitting  for  the  family. 

She  had  been  a  vile  sinner  in  her  youth,  and 
had  a  sad  life  behind  her.  Age  was  now  press- 
ing upon  her,  and  she  v/as  making  an  effort 
for  a  better  life,  in  which  the  gentle  mistress 
at  the  "  Fort "  was  ever  ready  to  help  her. 

Loula  took  an  especial  delight  in  going  to 

the  lonely  cabin,  to  take  bodily  comforts  to 

the  needy  woman,  and  also  to  try  to  lead  her 

in  the  ways  o-f  righteousness  and  truth.     She 

4 


50  The   Happy    Valley. 

was  so  utterl}^  ignorant,  so  untaught  in  spirit- 
ual things,  that  the  little  child,  so  calm  and 
trustful,  sat  before  her  like  a  mentor. 

She  always  took  with  her  the  little  book, 
^'Heavenward  Paths,''  and  the  old  woman 
looked  for  it,  and  asked  for  it.  Reading  from 
that  gave  her  foundation  for  the  various  teach- 
ings she  employed,  and  her  old  pupil  grew  in 
grace  under  her  simple  instructions. 

One  day  her  dear  auntie  went  with  her  on 
one  of  these  errands  of  love  and  mercy. 
Arriving  at  the  cabin,  she  thought  that  Loula 
might  be  more  fre  '  to  talk  if  she  left  her  alcne, 
so  she  took  the  pail  and  Avent  to  the  spring 
for  some  fresh  cool  water.  AVhen  she  returned 
she  lingered  awhile  outside,  and  she  heard 
Loula  reading : 

"And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes  ;"  and  then  she  added  in  explana- 
tion, ''You  know  that  is  when  we  get  to 
Heaven." 

Old  Chaney  sat  rocking  back  and  forth  and 
weeping.     The  child  continued  : 

"  And  there  mil  be  no  night  there,  either  ;" 


The  Valley  of  Life.  5' 

"isn't  that  delightful r   "and  there  will  be 

no  pain  there." 
The  old  woman  asked  wonderingly,     Loula, 

is  that  so  (" 

Thus  the  precious  child  led  the  poor  creature 
on  in  a  contemplation  of  the  promised  ]oys  of 
Heaven,  and  made  it  all  seem  so  beautiful  to 

her.  ,        ,  „. 

One  of  Chaney's  nieces  says  that  she  was  at 
her  aunt's  cabin  at  one  time  when  Loulacame, 
and  that  she  too  retired,  lest  she  should  em- 
barrass the  little  girl,  but  that  she  heard  her 
talking  so  sweetly  she  thought  she  must  go  m 
acrain,  which   she  did,  but  that  her  presence 
did  not  seem  to  confuse  her  in  the  least,  and 
that  she  went  on  reading  and  teaching  as  if  no 
one  was  by.    No  thought  of  self  found  a  place 
in  her  mind  at   such  times;   she  was  all  ab- 
sorbed in   the  importance  of  the  themes  of 
which  she  was  reading  or  speaking.     At  tHis 
visit  she  also  taught  the  old  woman  a  beauti- 
ful little  prayer,  about  persons  in   affliction, 
which  she  told  her  she  must  say  every  night. 
This  same  niece  also  relates  that  at  one  time, 
when  the  two  little  girls  came  together  to  the 


52  The   Happy    Valley, 

cabin,  her  aunt  lay  sick  in  bed,  and  when  they 
approached  her  bedside  she  stretched  out  her 
arms  and  they  both  knelt,  while  she  placed 
her  toil-worn  hands  upon  their  fair  young 
heads,  and  blessed  them  !  Then  Loula  asked  if 
she  should  read,  and  Bessie  L  oked  about  for 
something  to  feed  the  cat.  She  found  noth- 
ing eatable  but  some  dry  hard  bread. 

The  next  day  they  came  back,  and  Bessie 
brought  some  meat  with  her  from  home  to  feed 
the  half-starved  pussie,  but  hid  it,  and  called 
the  cat  aside  to  feed  it  without  Chaney's 
knowledge,  lest  her  feelings  should  be  hurt 
that  she  had  ffelt  it  was  necessary  to  bring 
food  from  home  for  her  pet. 

In  the  parlor  of  the  old  mansion  there  hangs 
a  large  engraving  of  the  Crucifixion.  On  one 
occasion  Loula  led  old  Chaney  in  to  see  it,  and 
explained  it  to  her,  in  her  own  peculiar  way, 
so  childlike,  and  yet  so  jDlain  and  forci- 
ble. 

She  gazed  on  the  jncture,  and  listened  to  the 
story,  and  it  all  seemed  to  come  home  to  her 
heart  and  understanding ;  and  she  bowed  down 
and  wept  bitterly,  exclaiming,   ''He  died  for 


The    Valley  of  Life.  53 

me,''  while  the  child  looked  on  with  an  ex- 
pression of  half  wonder  in  her  eyes. 

It  was  a  recital  of  that  which  she  had  known 
always  ;  it  was  a  part  of  her  life,  interwoven  . 
with  every  recollection.  Her  life  was  marked 
and  divided  by  Christmas,  and  Easter  and 
Trinity,  her  weeks  by  the  ever  recurring  Lord's 
Day,  her  days  opening  ar.d  closing  with  a 
•season  of  communion  with  this  blessed  Saviour  ; 
and  here  was  a  woman  of  mature  years,  to 
whom  it  was  all  new  ;  to  whom  she,  a  little 
child,  was  revealing  it  step  by  step,  and  to 
whose  darkened  mind  it  came  but  dimly,  the 
eyes  of  whose  spirit  seemed  to  see  only,  ''  men, 
as  trees  walking." 

Thanks  be  to  God,  that  led  by  the  little 
<5hild,  there  is  hope  that  she  was  taken  out  of 
the  darkness  of  this  spiritual  night  into  the 
perfect  day,  and  rested  beneath  the  healing 
rays  of  the  Sun  of  Eighteousness. 

Of  what  infinite  value  in  a  home  is  a  holy 
picture.  Words  can  never  impress  a  scene  or 
a  truth  on  the  heart  of  a  child,  as  does  the 
fixed  reDresentation  before  its  eyes  every  day, 
if  so  be  that  thp  picture  is  a  good  and  reverent 


54  ^/^^    Happy    Valley. 

one ;  and  the  memory  of  such  a  window  of 
Heaven  upon  the  walls  of  the  early  home,  may 
be  a  guiding  and  preserving  star  through  life. 

This  poor  woman  at  last  became  so  ill,  that 
she  needed  constant  care  and  could  not  be  left 
any  longer  alone,  and  she  was  removed  some 
distance  away  to  the  home  of  her  son,  where, 
after  months  of  bitter  suffering,  she  died. 

It  was  the  privilege  of  the  writer  to  minister 
to  her  during  her  last  days.  She  was  still  very 
ignorant,  but  humble  and  patient,  and  I  never 
saw  her  that  she  did  not  talk  of  "that  blessed 
child."  It  was  the  one  unfulfilled  wish  of  her 
heart,  that  she  might  look  upon  her  face  once 
more  before  she  passed  away.  She  seemed  to 
apprehend  the  atonement  of  the  Saviour,  to 
put  her  trust  fully  in  His  merits,  and  to  be 
truly  and  sincerely  penitent  for  the  short-com- 
ings and  sins  of  her  life. 

Anything  that  I  read  to  her,  that  she  recog- 
nized as  having  been  heard  before  from  l/oula's 
lips,  would  light  up  her  wasted  features.  She 
had  a  sweet  saintly  old  face,  that  must  have 
been  beautiful  in  her  youth.  She  was  very 
fond  of  the  hymn  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  and  I  read 


The   Valley  of  Life.  55 

it  to  her  oft 3:1  Sho  was  to  have  received  the 
Holy  Comm union  the  next  dciy  after  I  paid 
her  my  last  visit,  but  ere  the  d.iy  dawned,  the 
Lord  had  called  her  away.  We  trust  she  is 
one  of  those  who  will  drink  new  wine  with 
Him  hi  His  eternal  and  glorious  kingdom. 

Her  funeral  was  a  sad  one.  It  was  held  in 
the  parish  church.  Only  a  few  present,  a  rainy 
day,  with  thunder  continually  muttering  in 
the  distance.  As  she  had  been  lei  to  the 
Saviour's  feet  by  a  little  child,  it  was  meet 
tha'  a  little  child's  voice,  a  clear,  pure  boy's 
soprano,  should  sing  over  her  remains,  her 
favorite  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  and  it  seemed  like 
a  song  of  triumph  as  the  tones  rang  out  so 
tenderly  and  so  full  of  expression. 

*'  'Rock  of  ages,  cleft  for  me,' 
Sung  above  a  coffin  lid, 
Underneath  all  restfully 
All  life's  joys  and  sorrows  hid. 

Never  more,  O  storm-tossed  soul, 
Never  more  from  Aviad  and  tide, 

Never  more  from  billov.'s'  roll, 
Wilt  thou  need  thyself  to  hide. 


56  The  Happy     Valley. 

Could  the  sightless,  sunken  eyes, 
Closed  beneath  the  soft  gray  hair, 

Could  the  mute  and  stiffened  lips 
Move  again  in  pleading  prayer — 

Still,  aye  still,  the  words  would  be, 
*Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee.'  " 

As  we  stood  at  the  grave,  while  the  holy- 
office  of  the  Church  was  being  said,  a  tierce 
thunder  storm  broke  over  us,  and  the  noise  of 
the  thunder  mingled  with  that  of  the  falling 
rain,  was  louder  than  the  rector's  voice. 
There  she  lies,  sleeping  upon  an  eastern  slope 
in  the  God'  s-acre,  her  face  turned  toward  the 
rising  sun,  and  we  trust  that  her  ransomed 
spirit  will  be  a  star  in  dear  Loula'  s  crown  oi  re- 
joicing, for  all  eternity. 

In  the  autumn  of  1873,  another  baby  brother 
was  added  to  the  household  group.  When 
the  little  girls  were  taken  in  to  see  the  new 
comer,  they  were  greatly  astonished ;  Loula 
was  deeply  affected,  but  as  soon  as  she  couid 
speak,  she  said,  "Mother,  we  will  bring  tJds 
boy  up  right,  we  will  bring  him  up  for  God." 
And  faithfully  did  both  little  sisters  strive  for 
that  end.     They  taught  him,  constantly,  such 


The    Valley  of  Life,  57 

things  as  they  could  to  help  him  to  be  a  good 
child,  and  always  told  him  over  and  ove?,  that 
he  was  Jesus'  little  lamb.  They  loved  him 
and  prayed  for  him,  and  w^ere  so  much  delight- 
ed with  his  innocent  baby  ways. 

In  the  summer  of  1875,  the  writer  spont  sev- 
eral weeks  at  the  old  mansion.  In  daily 
intercourse  with  these  little  children,  I  learned 
to  love  them  very  dearly,  although  they  had 
long  lain  near  my  heart ;  still  I  saw  more  of 
them,  and  could  study  their  simple  every-day 
life,  and  understand  their  characters  as  I  had 
never  been  able  to  do  before.  Loula  was  the 
most  brave,  practical  and  helpful  of  the  two  ; 
Bessie  the  most  imaginative.  Both  were  gen- 
tle, obedient  and  affectionate. 

They  always  met  me  when  I  came  out  of  my 
room  irt  the  morning,  so  cheerfully,  with 
freshly-gathered  flowers  and  a  sweet  greeting, 
I  used  frequently  to  take  them  both,  and 
with  a  book,  perhaps,  in  my  hand,  go  out  in 
the  graveyard  and  sit  down  there  to  read  and 
think.  They  would  play  about  me  quietly, 
gathering  flowers  or  grasses,  and  reading  the 
inscriptions  on  the  tombstones. 


58  The   Happy    Valley, 

Loiila  once   called  my  attention  to  a  little 
stone,  and  I  read  thereon  the  name  of 

"Elizabeth  Lenoir, 

Daughter  of  William  Lenoir, 

Born  Feb.  loth,  1783, 

Died   March  22nd,  1785." 

She  said,   ' '  This  baby  has  lain  here  a  long 
time." 

I  replied,  ' '  Yes,  Loiila,  ninety  years  ;  and  its 
spirit  has  been  ninety  years  in  Paradise.'' 

She  gazed  thoughtfully  upon  the  turf-clad 
mound  for  a  few  moments,  and  then   asked, 

"Do  you  think  she  has  groTVTi  old  there,  or 
is  she  a  little  baby  yet  ?'• 

I  saw  how  her  mind  had  grasped  the  two 
facts  —  that  of  the  tiny  body  lying  here  in 
the  little  grave  at  our  feet,  so  small,  '*  only  a 
foot  or  two  at  most  of  star-daisied  sod,"  and 
the  lapse  of  ninety  years,  which  must  seem 
such  a  long  period  to  the  ideas  of  a  child,  con- 
necting with  it  the  thought  of  a  person  ninety 
years  of  age  ;  and  it  was  indeed  a  perplexing 
problem  for  the  youthful  hit^'llect.  We  sat 
down  then  under  a  cedar  trep,    and  talked  a 


The    Valley   of  Life.  59 

long  time  about  the  blessed  dead  in  Paradise, 
and  of  their  continual  progression  without  age 
or  decay  of  faculties,  and  I  was  struck  with 
the  ready  comj)rehension  she  evinced,  not 
sajdng  very  much,  but  drinking  in  all  I  said  on 
the  subject  with  a  clearness  of  perception,  as 
I  could  realize  from  her  few  remarks  and 
answers  to  the  questions  put  to  her,  that 
gratified  me  very  much. 

She  also  assisted  me  in  making  a  copy  of 
the  epitaph  from  Gen.  Lenoir's  tomb-stone, 
which  is  already  recorded  in  these  pages. 
The  marble  has  crumbled  and  the  edges  of 
the  letters  worn  off,  so  that  they  have  become 
very  illegible.  We  had  to  go  out  in  the  bright 
sunshine  to  decipher  them,  and  she  took  great 
interest  in  tracing  them  with  her  finger  and 
spelling  out  for  me  w  r  1  after  word. 

She  was  a  very  comp-.mionable  child,  and 
without  impressing  one  with  the  least  idea  of 
precociousness  or  forwardness,  she  would,  in 
an  unassuming  way,  prove  herself  excellent 
company  even  to  a  grown  person. 

On  a  walk  she  sav/  everything  that  was  beau- 
tiful ;  wild  flowers,  a  richly  tinted  leaf,  a  shin- 


6o  The   Happy    Valley. 

ing  stone,  the  lichens  upon  the  rocks,  the  min- 
nows and  darting  bugs  nijon  the  water  ;  all  the 
varied  objects  and  incidents  gave  her  so  much 
pleasure,  and  she  spoke  of  them  so  intelli- 
gently. 

One  of  the  pets  of  the  plantation  was  ' '  Old 
Button."  He  was  an  Indian  pony,  a  short, 
stout-built  animal  with  a  shaggy  mane,  that 
had  formerly  been  the  property  of  Loula's 
grandfather.  He  was  in  his  ripe  old  age,  good- 
natured  and  faithful,  and  he  afforded  the  little 
girls  much  amusement. 

They  would  go  to  the  stable  and  bring  him 
out  themselves,  lead  him  to  the  block,  put  a 
sheep-skin  across  his  back,  then  both  mount 
him,  andaway  they  would  go  down  to  the  river 
bank  to  give  him  drink.  They  would  crawl 
over  him  and  under  him,  tumble  about  and 
frolic  with  him,  laughing  merrily  without  a 
thought  of  fear. 

As  "The  Fort"  is  five  miles  or  more  from 
the  post-office,  it  is  the  custom  of  the  good 
cousin  who  lives  at  "Palmyra,"  the  fine  old 

hom-^stead  of  G-en.  P .  when  he  sends  for 

his  own  mail,  to  bring  that  for  "The  Fort,"  as 


The    Valley   of  Life.  6i 

far  as  his  house,  which  is  about  half  way,  and 
it  is  sent  for  there.  Loula  used  often  in  pleas- 
ant weather  to  go  up  for  it  on  Old  Button. 

The  quaint  little  maiden  with  a  riding-skirt 
over  her  dress,  a  white  sun-bonnet  on,  and  a 
calico  bag  hanging  on  the  horn  of  the  saddle, 
would  ride  off  quietly,  fording  the  Yadkin  on 
the  way,  and,  after  maldng  a  call,  looking  at 
her  cousin's  llowers,  or  any  other  object  of  in- 
terest that  the  time  might  present,  return  with 
the  papers  and  letters  in  the  bag,  enjoying  her 
ride  of  four  or  five  miles  so  much. 

Old  Button  became  useless  the  last  year  of 
his  life,  but  he  was  well  cared  for  until  he  de- 
parted, full  of  years  and  of  honors,  on  the  21st 
of  October,  1876,  in  the  thirty-first  year  of  his 
age. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  when  Bessie  was  en- 
tering her  seventh  year,  it  was  judged  advisa- 
ble to  send  her  to  school.  It  seemed  almost 
cruel  to  make  the  shrinking,  timid  child  go 
away  from  home,  and  from  her  mother,  and 
stay  all  day  with  strangers,  but  it  was  doubt- 
less just  what  she  needed  to  counteract  these 
peculiarities  and  to  cultivate  a  degree  of  self- 


62  The  Happy    Valley. 

reliance  in  her.  Lou  la  took  such  good  care  of 
her,  and  did  everything  to  encourage  her,  still 
it  came  very  hard. 

One  morning  I  remember  they  started  off, 
Bessie  going  very  unwillingly,  after  we  had 
talked  to  her  of  the  beauty  of  being  a  "  school- 
girl," and  tried  to  make  the  school-room  seem 
attractive  to  her.  Soon  Loula  returned  alone, 
with  a  very  troubled  face,  telling  her  mother 
that  Bessie  was  sitting  down  by  the  creek  cry- 
ing ;  that  she  could  not  induce  her  to  tell  her 
what  for,  or  to  go  any  farther.  She  was  told 
to  go  and  bring  her  back,  which  she  did. 
When  she  came  in  she  rushed  to  her  mother 
and  threw  her  arms  about  her  neck,  saying  : 

'' Mother,  I  am  not  a  naughty  girl,  but  I 
was  just  thinking  if  anything  happened  to 
you  or  the  baby  while  I  was  away,  Avhat 
should  I  do,  and  I  could  not  go  on."  And 
she  sobbed  passionately. 

The  mother's  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  it 
would  only  have  been  obeying  the  dictates  of 
her  yearning  heart,  if  she  had  given  up  to  the 
feeling,  and  kept  the  trembling  little  creature 
at  her  side ;  but  she  felt  that  it  was  a  decisive 


The   Valley  of  Life.  63 

moment,  and  after  soothing  her  somewhat, 
she  firmly  compelled  her  to  go  on  with  her 
sister  to  school. 

She  came  home  in  the  evening  very  bright 
and  cheerful,  and  yielded  the  succeeding  days 
quietly  to  the  necessity  laid  upon  her,  though 
I  often  observed  a  sigh,  and  a  looking  back  as 
if  she  fain  would  stay  by  "mother  and  the 
baby,"  if  she  could  be  allowed  to  do  so. 

Her  imagination  was  vivid,  and  I  noticed 
that  in  her  little  plays  she  seemed  to  make  the 
childish  jDretences  strong  realises.  Loulawas 
not  without  a  fanciful  vein  in  her  character, 
but  the  dividing  line  between  fact  and  fancy 
was  more  clearly  defined  in  her  mind,  and 
the  ''make  believes"  never  became  as  real  to 
her  as  to  her  little  sister. 

I  heard  the  child  sobbing  out  in  the  porch 
one  day,  and  fearing  3 he  was  hurt, went  out  to 
comfort  her.     On  asking, 

' '  Bessie,  what  is  the  matter  ?' '  she  said  — 
"Mother  has  killed  my  baby." 

This  was  all  she  would  tell  me,  but  Loula 
came  and  explained,  that  she  had  made  a 
baby  for  Bess  by  tying  a  string   around  the 


64  The   Happy    Valley, 

end  of  tlie  cradle  pillow,  and  dressing  it  up  in 
the  soiled  clothes  of  the  little  brother ;  that 
Bessie  had  rocked  it  to  sleep  in  the  cradle  and 
left  it  while  she  went  in  the  garden  for  a  time. 
During  her  absence  her  mamma,  in  gathering 
up  the  wash  for  the  servant,  had  taken  the 
clothes  off  the  pillow,  shaken  it  up  and  put  it  in 
its  place  ;  and  when  the  child  returned  to  the 
cradle  she  found  her  play  broken  up.  At  once 
she  commenced  crying,  with  the  exclamation  : 
''Mother  has  killed  my  baby  I"  and— Loula 
said — refused  to  be  comforted.  She  was  not  in 
any  way  out  of  temper  about  it,  but  seemed 
perfectly .  heart-broken,  and  only  wept  the 
more  as  we  tried  to  divert  her  mind  to  other 
things.  At  last  her  auntie  took  her  away  up- 
stairs, where  she  sobbed  herself  to  sleep.  As 
she  grew  older  this  sensitiveness  was  in  a 
measure  overcome ;  she  was  more  unifonnly 
cheerful,  less  shy,  and  enjoyed  everything  so 
much.  She  became  plu.up  and  rosy  and 
graceful,  and  the  two  little  sisters  were  very 
happy  together. 

They  Avere  quite  a  contrast  in  personal  ap- 
pearance as  well  as  in  character. 


The    Valley  of  Lije.  65 

Loiila  was  a  perfect  blonde.  Very  fair  hair, 
straight  and  fine  and  soft  as  silk  ;  a  complex- 
ion of  pearly  whiteness,  upon  which  the  rosy 
tints  were  like  the  hues  of  her  own  beloved 
blush-roses.  Her  eyes  were  light  blue,  wide, 
very  wide  open,  clear  as  a  mountain  lake, 
with  an  expression  of  honest  frankness  in 
them,  toned  down  at  times  by  a  far-off, 
dreamy  look,  as  shades  of  thought  passed 
over  her  mind,  but  always  looking  square  at 
one  when  she  spoke  or  was  being  spoken  to. 
Her  figure  was  healthily  developed,  and  the 
atmosphere  surrounding  her  was  restful  and 
cheerful. 

Bessie  had  brown  hair,  soft,  wavy  and 
abundant.  Her  eyes  were  an  undefined  gray, 
over  which  the  long  dark  lashes  always  cast  a 
shadow.  Her  complexion  was  pure  and  waxen, 
and  her  expression  pensive  and  very  sweet.  In 
feature  she  was  the  most  beautiful  of  the  two, 
and  her  whole  air  was  one  of  tenderness  and 
grace. 

For  years  Loula  sat  as  the  little  priestess  at 
the  table  to  call  down  the  blessing  of  God  upon 
the  family  meals.     The  duty  was   performed 

5 


66  The    Happy    Valley. 

with  grave  and  reverent  earnestness.  She  used 
several  forms,  varying  as  she  desired,  some  of 
them  in  verse  : 

"  Be  present  at  our  table,  Lord, 
Be  here  and  every  where  adored  ; 
These  creatures  bless,  and  grant  that  we 
May  feast  in  Paradise  with  Thee.'' 

And, — 

"We  thank  Thee,  Lord,  for  tiiis  our  food, 
And  more  because  of  Jesus'  blood  ; 
Let  manna  to  our  souls  be  given, 
The  Bread  of  Life,  sent  down  from  Heaven." 


Or,— 


"  Come,  good  Lord,  and  be  our  Guest, 
What  Thou  hast  given,  by  Thee  be  blest. 


The  spirit  of  i^rayer  really  lived  in  these 
little  children.  Bessie  was  particularly  a  child 
of  i^rayer.  She  was  never  satisfied  until  she 
had  been  with  her  mother  to  the  place  where  it 
was  their  custom  to  retire  for  devotion,  and 
after  the  sacred  obligation  had  been  performed, 
she  would  seem  so  happy,  and  go  singing  away. 
Not  long  before  the  close  of  her  life  she  went 
with  her  mother  several  miles  from  home  to 
visit  some  relatives.     In  the  hurry  of  getting 


The    Valley   of  Life.  67 

off  at  an  early  liour,  the  inoruing  prayers  to- 
gether were  neglected;  but  as  soon  as  they 
reached  their  destination,  and  the  greetings 
were  over,  she  came  and  whispered,  ''Mother, 
let  us  go  and  say  our  prayers  ;  we  did  not  say 
them  this  morning."  And  she  could  not  be 
satisfied  until  they  had  sought  a  place  of  re- 
tirement and  offered  up  the  usual  supplica- 
tions to  the  Heavenly  Father's  throne.  Then, 
with  His  benediction  on  her  youthful  head,  she 
was  ready  to  enter  into  the  enjoyment  of  the 
visit. 

And  how  they  loved  the  Church  services,  the 
dear  voices  joining  clearly  in  the  responses, 
while  their  whole  demeanor  was  so  reverent 
and  attentive. 

But  the  simple  tale  of  the  beautiful  life- 
journey  is  drawing  to  a  close.  It  was  all 
brightness  to  the  end. 

On  Friday,  the  31st  day  of  August,  1877,  the 
darlings  came  home  from  school  for  the  last 
time— ah,  who  could  know  that  it  was  the  last 
time— that  all  life's  lessons  were  learned,  and 
earth' s  schooling  done  \ 

Saturday   morning,   Sept.    1st,    Loula  said, 


68  The  Happy  Valley. 

''  Mother,  we  have  been  in  school  all  the  week, 
and  now  we  must  have  this  whole  day  to  play 
with  our  dolls,  can't  we T' 

Having  the  mother' s  hearty  assent,  they  skip- 
ped off  so  delighted.  How  that  mother's  heart 
was  touched,  when,  weeks  after,  she  gathered 
courage  to  go  into  that  doll-room,  where  every- 
thing remained  just  as  they  had  left  it  at  even- 
ing after  that  happy  play-day,  only  a  mother 
who  has  been  herself  bereaved  can  understand. 
They  had  quantities  of  rag  dolls,  made  by  their 
own  deft  little  fingers,  and  had  families  ar- 
ranged in  various  positions.  The  garments  they 
had  been  making  on  that  Saturday  lay  there 
with  the  needles  at  the  last  stitch— how  unut- 
terably sad  the  sight  to  poor  human  weakness  ! 
— but  sweet  the  thought  that  the  last  day  was 
one  of  such  innocent  pleasure. 

The  sun  went  down.  The  little  feet  had  fin- 
ished their  journey,  and  would  no  more  be 
stained  with  the  dust  of  earth.  They  were 
treading  in  that  solemn  border  land,  upon  the 
verge  of  the  purple  shadow,  but  all  eyes  were 
holden. 

The  week  closed  as  other  weeks.     No  sound 


The    Valley  of  Life,  69 

was  on  earth  or  in  air  to  warn  of  the  events  of 
the  week  to  come. 

The  good-nights  were  spoken,  the  kisses  giv- 
en, the  evening  prayers  said,  and  the  children  / 
and  the  household  slept. 

The  angels  were  setting  the  golden  gates 
ajar  ;  the  ministering  spirits  were  receiving 
their  commissions  to  stand  by  the  bed  of  suf- 
fering ;  loving  ones  in  paradise  were  in  ex- 
pectant waiting,  to  welcome  to  their  midst  two 
more  redeemed ;  but  in  the  old  home  in  the 
Happy  Valley,  untouched  by  apprehension  or 
by  fear,  the  children  and  the  household  slept. 

"■  God  keeps  a  niche 
In  Heaven  to  hold  our  idols;  and  albeit 
He  brake  them  to  our  faces,  and  denied 
That  our  close  kisses  should  impair  their  white— 
I  know  we  shall  behold  them  raised,  complete — 
The  dust  swept  from  their  beauty — glorified, 
New  memnons  singing  in  the  great  God  light.'' 


THE      VALLEY     OF 
SHADOW. 


THE 


•'So  oft  the  doing  (.f  God's  will 

Our  foolish  wills  undoeth  I 
And  yet  what  idle  dream  breaks  ill 
Which  morning  light  subdueth  ? 
And  who  would  murmur  and  misdoubt 
When  God's  great  sunrise  finds  him  out?  " 

?f  HE  morning  of  the  Lord's  Day  broke 
over  the  mountains.  That  ''  day  of 
rest  and  gladness,'-  so  full  of  heav- 
enly hope  and  comfort.  Countless  voices  had 
been  raising  up  the  prayer,  in  the  far  east, 
and  repeated  o'er  and  o'er  again  as  the  king 
of  day  rolled  on  in  sj)lendor,  until  at  last  his 
rays  tinted  the  tree -tops  on  the  heights  that 
bounded  the  "Happy  Yalley  ;" — that  prayer 
so  needed  by  this  family  group,  upon  whom 
a  shadow,  so  dark  as  to  be  felt  at  midday,  was 
falling.  ''Give  them  patience  under  their  suf- 
ferings, and  a  happy  issue  out  of  all  their 


The   Valley   of  the    Shadow.  71 

afflictions  ;   and  this  we  ask  for  Jesns  Christ 

sake.     Amen." 

What  a   blessed    thought,   when   the    day 
dawns  upon  us  after  a  night  of  sorrow,  that  the 
wave  of  pi-ayer  that  is  ever  encircling  the  earth 
is  rollino-  on  to  me^t  11s  with  the  morning  light, 
and  that  it  is  ever  ceaselessly  arising  in  our 
behalf      Is  not  that  the  sacred  fire  that  ever 
burns  before  Jehovah,  the  lamp  that  never  goes 
out  ■>'    Those  blessed  prayers  of  the  Holy  Cath- 
olic Church  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men, 
rolling  on  in  solemn  grandeur, ' '  girding  eartli_, 
filling  the  air,  until  the  round  world  is  encir- 
cled as  with  an  aureole. 

The  soul  that  in  its  dark  hours  can  grasp 
this  fact  and  realize  itself  a  unit  with  the 
beseeching  hosts  of  God's  people,  must  surely 
find  sweet  consolation  in  it.  It  leaves  no  place 
for  loneliness,  for  we  are  one  with  millions  who 
are  praying  with  and  for  us,  and  there  is  no 
moment  in  the  cycle  of  the  day  when  there  is 
not  a  priest  somewhere  leading  his  people  in 
this  supplication. 

And  so  the  Lord's  day  morning  broke.    A 
Sabbath  benediction  rested   upon  the   hills, 


72  The    Happy    Valley. 

%.^ 
and    the    Valley    wore    its    usual    smile    of 
peace. 

The  household  awaked  to  its  accusronied 
life,  and  the  morning  duties  went  on. 

At  the  breakfast  table  Loula  told  her  mother 
that  about  midnight  her  throat  rommeaced 
feeling  uncomfortable  and  was  a  little  sore  ; 
but  she  did  not  complain  much,  and  seemed 
very  cheerful.  After  breakfast,  however,  her 
mother  looked  into  her  throat,  and  she  discov- 
ered a  small  vrhite  speck — ah,  fatal  plague 
spot  I— and  told  her  she  thought  she  had  a 
small  ulcer  there. 

She  did  not  appear  to  feel  very  well  as  the 
morning  Avore  on,  and  after  lying  awhile  on 
her  mother's  bed,  went  np-stairs  to  her  room, 
and  did  not  come  down  to  dinner.  One  of 
her  brothers,  who  attended  school  at  a  dis- 
tance, was  at  home,  and  he  waited  upon  her 
so  gladly,  taking  her  dinner  up  to  her,  which 
she  enjoyed. 

Soon  after,  he  left,  as  he  had  to  return  to  be 
at  school  on  Monday  morning.  He  went  up 
and  kissed  Loula  good-bye,  and  took  sweet 
Bessie  in  his  aims,  kissed  her,  and  told  her 


The    Valley  of  the    Shadow.  73 

j^ 
not  to  get  sick,  and  went  away.     What  would 
have  been  his  feelings  if  he  had  known  he 
would  never  see  their  loved  faces  again  ! 

Her  mother  continued  treating  her  with  the 
ordinary  household  remedies,  and  soon  after 
the  brother  had  gone  she  looked  in  her  throat 
again,  when  she  found  that  the  speck  had 
spread  and  appeared  different  from  anything 
she  liad  ever  S'  en.  Her  brother  Walter  saw  it 
too,  and  at  onco  insisted  upon  going  for  the 
doctor.  He  saddled  his  horse  and  started  for 
the  nearest  physician,  who  lived  ten  miles 
away,  over  the  mountain.  AYhile  he  was  gone 
she  coughed  up  the  membrane  and  seemed  to 
a  great  extent  relieved. 

Bessie  played  with  the  baby  brother  most 
of  the  day,  and  about  nightfall  she  told  her 
mother  with  tears  in  her  eyes  that  she  felt 
very  badly,  and  her  throat  was  sore. 

When  the  doctor  came,  in  the  evening,  he 
did  not  seem  t )  be  alarmed  about  them,  and 
quieted  the  mother  when  she  expressed  her 
fears  that  it  was  diphtheria.  Walter  was  soon 
taken  with  similar  symptoms,  and  he  pre- 
scribed for  all  three. 


74  The   Happy   Valley, 

At  midnight  Bessie's  symptoms  became  ag- 
gravated. She  suffered  very  much  from  nausea, 
and  her  throat  was  so  painful,  but  she  was  per- 
fectly meek  and  submissive.  Slie  allowr^d  her 
throat  to  be  washed,  and  took  very  bitter  medi- 
cine uncomplainingly.  None  saw  one  sign  of 
impatience  or  heard  one  murmur  during  her  ill- 
ness. 

All  day  Monday  she  talked  and  noticed  ev- 
erything. In  the  morning  and  in  the  evening 
she  asked, ''  Mother,  let's  say  our  prayers."  She 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  devotions  so  much  and  was 
peaceful  and  satisfied  in  them.  The  mother 
having  slept  none  the  night  before,  left  the  chil- 
dren in  care  of  the  rest  of  the  family  and  went 
to  bed  on  Monday  night.  Dui-ing  the  night 
the  disease  made  rapid  pi'ogi-ess  upon  Bessie. 
When  her  mother  came  down  to  her  in  the 
morning  she  saw  it,  and  felt  almost  paralyzed 
with  the  fear  that  her  gentle  little  darling  was 
indeed  going  from  her. 

She  mopped  out  the  poor  swollen  throat, 
which  painful  operation  the  child  endured  so 
patiently,  gave  her  the  bitter  medicine,  which 


The   Valley   of  the    Shadow.         75 

she  took  willingly,  a.id  tlien  with  a  sweet  smile 
came  that  touching  refiain—  _ 

''  iSIow,  mother,  let's  say  our  prayers. 

She  repeated  distinctly  tlie  prayers  herselt, 
saying  every  word  after  her  mother,  and  then 
was  comforL  and  h.y  qnietly  sufiering  whde 
the  poor  mother' s  heart  was  well  nigh  breaking. 

She  dared  not  rebel— 

"  But  slie  must  weep, 
As  her  pale  placi.l  martyr  sinks  to  sleep, 

Teaching  so  well  and  silently, 
How  at  the  Shephcr.i's  call  the  lamb  should  d.e. 

AH  day  Monday  Loula  was  getting  on  luite 
^^ell,  though  her  symptoms  were  more  alarm- 
ing from  the  first  than  her  little  sister  s.  She 
wi  bright  and  cheerful,  and  so  loving  to 
Tabou't  her,  thankful  for  -ery  little  kind- 
ness and  attention,  and  so  troubled  that  she 
could  not  be  up  and  helping  the  rest. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  when  the  -ndition  o 
the  little   one  became  hopeless    her  mother 
thought  it  best   to  tell   her  of  it,  deeming 
better  that  she  should  know  the  sorrow  as  it 
developed,  than  to  keep  her  in  ignorance  of 


76  The   Happy    Valley, 

the  facts,  and  have  hei-  unprepared  for  what 
she  saw  must  follow  ;  so  on  Tuesday,  when  she 
asked  after  Bessie,  she  told  her,  "Bessie  is 
worse." 

Loula  replied — 

"  Oh,  precious  mother,  I  am  sure  that  sweet 
Bessie  is  ready  to  die,  for  last  Friday  morning 
as  we  lay  in  our  little  bed,  she  put  her  arms 
around  my  neck  and  told  me  she  did  not  think 
she  would  stay  liere  much  longer." 

Her  mother  asked — 

"Darling,  do  you  think  she  wanted  to  die?" 
'  "Oh,  yes,"  she  replied,  "she  said  she  wanted 
to  go  to  Heaven." 

During  Tuesday  morning  little  Bessie  failed 
rapidly,  and  her  utterance  was  much  obstruct- 
ed. Near  noontide,  just  before  she  became 
speechless,  again,  and  for  the  last  time,  she 
said,  "Mother,  let  us  go  round  to  the  other 
house  and  say  our  prayers." 

She  desired  to  go  to  the  wonted  place  where 
their  daily  devotions  were  offered  up.  Her 
mother  reminded  her  that  God  was  right  at  her 
side,  and  could  hear  her  as  well  there  as  else- 
where, and  she  was  content.  This  call  to  prayer 


The  Valley  of  the  Shadow,  77 

were  the  last  words  she  spoke  ;  she  remained 
speechless,  though  for  a  time  conscious. 

A  little  while  before  she  breathed  her  last, 
the  stricken  mother  went  up-stairs  to  see  Lou- 
la.  When  she  started  to  come  down  again, 
Loula  said — 

"Dear  mother,  tell  Bessie  good-bye  for  me." 

The  Holy  Comforter  surely  supported  lier  as 
she  went  down  to  her  bedside,  and  asked  the 
precious  child,  if  she  knew  her  mother.  The 
little  sufferer  opened  her  eyes  and  gazed  upon 
her,  and  then  she  told  her  that  Loula  wished 
her  to  tell  her  "good-bye" — and  she  knelt 
down  and  asked  the  Heavenly  Father  to  re- 
ceive the  departing  spirit ;  and  was  then  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  room,  after  which  she  saw 
her  no  more  alive. 

Oh,  the  blessed  power  and  strength  of  the 
religion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  could 
support  this  timid,  shrinking  child,  and  lead 
her  on  so  calmy  and  trustingly  down  into  the 
dark  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death  !  Strong 
men,  old  Christians,  looked  on  wonderingly  to 
see  this  little  one,  all  conscious  of  her  condition, 
leaving  her  earth-life,  and  all  that  had  made 


78  The   Happy    Valley. 

that  life  so  intensely  dear,  leaving  home  and 
mother,  and  all  to  which  she  had  clung  with 
such  tenacity,  without  a  murmur,  going  out  to 
the  spirit  world  so  fearlessly.  It  was  the  lamb 
reclining  on  the  Good  Shepherd's  bosom,  as 
He  bore  it  safely  through  the  darkness  to  the 
green  pastures  of  the  Better  Land. 

Just  before  she  parsed  away,  she  looked 
steadily,  and  for  a  moment  affrightedly  behind 
the  bed,  as  if  she  saw  something  which  terri- 
fied her,  and  then  she  pulled  up  the  bed 
clothes  over  her  face.  Her  papa  drew  them 
away,  and  when  she  looked  up  again,  she 
seemed  to  see  only  a  vision  of  beauty,  for  lier 
face  fairly  shone  with  exstatic  delight,  and  the 
rapturous  smile  remained  upon  the  marble  face 
until  it  was  hidden  from  mortal  view. 

And  so  the  gentle  spirit  fled,  peacefu]l3\  ^^av- 
ing  the  very  impress  of  lieavenly  joy,  the  earn- 
est of  answered  prayeis,  upon  her  countenance, 
at  five  o'clock  on  Tuesday  evening,  September 
4th. 

During  Tuesday  night  Loula  became  desper- 
ately ill.  She  had  been  impressed  with  the  idea 
from  the  first  that  she  would  never  recover,  but 


The  Valley  of  the  Shadow.  79 

now  it  seemed  to  be  revealed  to  her  as  a  certaiu- 
tv        She   was   sufieri.ig  fearftrlly,   her  throat 
swelling  both  sides,  and  she  told  h"-  cou..n 
who  was  nttrsing  her,   that  she  -uld  su>vly 
die  ;  but  they  tried  to  keep  her  from  talking 

'^Wednesday    morning,    she    said.    "Cousin 
Lou,   I  am  going  to   die.    God  has  told  me 


so." 


"How,  darling?" 

"  He  has  made  me  know  it." 

"  Well.  Loula,  if  God  should  call  you  away, 
would  you  be  willing  to  go  r' 

She   quietly    folded  her  hands  and  rephed 
with  great  earnestness,  "Fer/ec%." 

Presently,    raising   up  in    bed,  she    asked, 
.'Have  I  been  too  wicked  r    When  her  cousin 
assured  her  that  Christ  could  forgive  «Z?  stn, 
she  rejoined,  "  Dear  Jestrs,  if  He  will  take  me, 
I  am  ready  to  go."     She  also  said,  soon  after  ; 
"Cousin  Lou,  I   have  seen  a  beautiful  angel 
with  a  face  like  my  mother's,  and  it  wanted  me 
to  go  to  Heaven  to  live ;"  and  then,  with  wide 
open  eyes  and  in  a  whisper,  she  added,     and  it 
wants  Bess  too."    And  again  she  said,  "I  saw 


8o  The   Happy    Valley, 

cousin  Carrie  (a  cousin  who  had  been  dead  for 
some  time),  and  oh,  I  loved  her  so  much  !"  she 
asked  for  her  father,  and  after  expressing  the 
most  tender  affection  for  him,  told  him,  "  Dear 
papa,  lam  going  to  die,  and  I  want  to  tell  you 
what  to  put  on  my  tombstone.  "  We  love  him 
because  He  once  loved  us.  " 

The  family  could  not  bear  to  think  of  giving 
her  up.  The  sweet,  frail  Bessie  had  always 
seemed  a  blossom  more  fitted  for  the  airs  of 
Paradise  than  for  this  rough  storm-tossed 
world,  and  it  had  been  a  familiar  thought 
with  many  that  she  might  be  early  called  away  ; 
but  Loula,  so  strong,  so  brave,  so  cheerful  and 
helj)ful,  for  her,  nothing  but  a  life  of  loving 
usefulness  was  expected.  No  one  ever  ima- 
gined she  might  die.  They  could  not  give  her 
up.     Her  cousin  said — 

''But  Loula,  we  hope  you  are  not  going 
to  die  ;  be  willing  to  live  to  comfort  your 
mother." 

"Yes,*'  she  replied,  "I  would  be  a  comfort  to 
my  mother,  and  I  might  help  another  soul  to 
Heaven  ;  but  if  I  should  grow  up  wicked  I 
should  be  sorry  I  did  not  die  now." 


The  Valley  of  the  Shadow,  8i 

After  a  while  slie  asked,  ''  Can't  my  mother 
come  to  me  %  I  want  my  mother  to  come  and 
pray  for  me." 

Her  dear  mother  came,  so  frail  and  weak, 
but  supported  by  Divine  help  to  a  state  of 
wonderful  calmness.  Loula  held  out  her  arms, 
with  a  bright  smile  upon  her  face,  saying — 

"Oh,  my  precious  mother,  I  do  love  you  so 
much  !  You  are  so  dear  to  me."  And  then  she 
asked  three  times  how  dear  little  Bessie  was, 
not  knowing  that  the  spirit  had  been  the  night 
before  released  from  the  suffering  clay.  The 
physician  advised  that  she  should  not  be  told 
of  it.  At  last  her  mother  said,  "  We  hope  she 
is  better." 

Loula  looked  at  her,  and  said  with  marked 
emphasis — 

"  Oh,  precious  mother,  I  am  sure  I  saw  Bes- 
sie in  Heaven  last  night.     I  saw  her  twice'' 

Then  very  calmly,  and  with  a  bright  smile  on 
her  face — 

"Precious  mother,  I  want  to  talk  some  with 

you    now.     I   think   I   am   going  to   die  ;  the 

angels  have  told  me  so,  and  precious,  darling 

mother,  God  promised  me  last  night  that  you 

6 


82  The    Happy    Valley. 

should  come  to  m(\  uikI  tluit  darling  papa 
should  come,  and  He  promised  me  that  all, 
every  one  of  the  dear  boys  should  come.  Tell 
Gwyn,  (Gwyn  was  the  brother  who  was  away 
at  school,  and  not  allowed  to  come  home,  Jiis 
tonsils  being  so  large  the  disease  was  thought 
to  be  particularly  dangerous  for  him),  to  be  a 
faithful  soldier  ;  that  God  has  promised  me  he 
should  come." 

She  then  asked  her  mother  to  forgive  her 
any  trouble  she  might  have  caused  her,  also 
called  her  faithful  "Aunt  Sade,"  who  had 
been  a  second  mother  to  both  the  little  girls, 
and  asked  her  forgiveness.  They  both  assured 
her  that  they  had  nothing  to  forgive,  that  she 
had  only  been  a  comfort  and  a  blessing  to 
them . 

The  family  physician  who  had  watched  her 
w^itli  loving  interest,  gave  her  some  ice.  She 
took  it  and  said,  "Oh,  this  is  so  good  ;  it  re- 
freshes me  so  mnch.  How  good  of  God  to  give 
us  ice,  and  to  give  us  such  friends,  but  best  of 
all  to  give  us  Himself."  She  thanked  the 
doctor  for  his  care  and  attention,  and  said, 
*'  You  have  all  been  so  kind  to  me,  and  helped 


The    Valley  of  the    Shadow.  83 

me  very  much,  but  Jesus  has  helped  me  more 
than  all." 

A  few  moments  afterward  he  saw  her  look- 
ing upward  so  intently,  and  with  such  a  lumi- 
nous face,  he  asked,  "  Loula,  what  are  you  look- 
ing at  ?"  She  replied,  "  I  see  a  beautiful  angel. 
It  is  looking  at  me,  and  it  is  so  beautiful." 

The  ice  was  such  a  great  comfort  to  her,  that 
she  begged  her  papa  that  he  would  always  put 
up  ice  and  keep  it  for  the  sick  and  fevered  for 
her  sake.  He  made  a  promise  to  her  that  he 
would  do  so,  and  it  has  been  religiously  kept. 
The  sick  from  all  about  the  country  send  to 
him  for  ice,  and  it  is  dispensed  freely,  in  me- 
moriam.  So  that  although  she  has  passed  from 
earth,  she  is  still  holding  the  cup  of  cold  water 
to  many  a  parched  lip 

Her  mother  begged  her  not  to  talk  ;  told  her 
that  the  doctor  feared  it  would  injure  her,  and 
that  he  wanted  her  to  try  and  go  to  sleep. 
But  she  said,  ''Oh,  mother,  God  shows  me  such 
beautiful  things  that  I  cannot  sleep  ;  but  if  you 
will  say  a  prayer  for  me,  and  get  close  to  me, 
I  will  try." 

And  so  she  did  sleep  a  little  while,  and  then, 


84  The   Happy    Valley, 

opening  her  clear  spiritual  eyes,  and  gazing  on 
her  mother,  she  said,  while  the  very  "  radiancy 
of  glory,"  seemed  to  be  reflected  on  her  sweet 
face,  and  speaking  as  if  she  were  already  in  the 
land  of  the  blest : 

"Come  to  me,  my  precious  mother,  lean 
your  tired  head  upon  my  bosom  and  rest.  I  told 
you  that  God  said  you  slioiild  come.  And 
there  comes  darling  papa,  coming  straight  on, 
and  there  is  Gwyn  marching  on  like  a  brave 
soldier,  and  there  is  Walter."  A  look  of  pain 
crossed  her  bright  angelic  face,  then  bright- 
ening up  again,  she  called  so  sweetly,  "Come 
on,  Walter  ;"  and  with  a  smile,  "  don't  you  see 
him  coming?  Dear  mother,  Tommie  has  been 
sorely  tempted,  but  he  is  coming  right  on  now, 
and  sweet  little  Rufus  too  ;  he  is  coming,  dar- 
ling mother,  did  I  not  tell  you  that  God  had 
promised  me  you  should  all  come  C 

This  was  no  delirium,  no  result  of  morphia 
or  other  drugs.  She  had  taken  nothing  to  affect 
her  brain,  and  was  in  a  condition  of  perfect 
reason  and  consciousness,  but  one  of  exstatic 
exaltation. 

Her   sympathy   for   all   the   family,  and  es- 


The   Valley  of  the  Shadow.  85 

pecially  for  her  mother,  in  what  they  were 
enduring,  was  intense.  Looking  up  at  her 
mother,  she  exclaimed,  "Your  face  is  like  an 
angel's,  mother,  sitting  there  so  calm  and 
sweet,  but  there  is  a  terrible  battle  raging 
within." 

At  another  time  she  put  her  arms  around 
lier  mother's  neck,  saying,  '*  Oh,  precious 
mother,  I  love  you  more  than  all  the  world, 
but  I  love  Jesus  more."  When  her  papa  left 
her  bedside  weeping,  she  said,  "Darling  papa, 
he  is  so  good,  I  know  he  will  go  to  hea- 
ven. 

She  spoke  again  and  again  of  the  lovely 
angel  with  a  face  like  her  mother' s.  "I  love  her 
better,"  she  said,  "than  all  the  angels,  and  I 
call  her  my  mother  angel.  I  believe  now," 
kissing  her  hand,  "I  love  my  earthly  mother 
just  a  little  better,  but  Jesus  I  love  better  than 
all." 

Her  mother  suggested  that  this  angel  might 
be  her  aunt  Lizzie,  the  "Mrs.  C."  already  re- 
ferred to,   who  since  the  time  of  that  visit  to 

E had  passed  away,  but  she  said:  "No, 

mother,    it   was  you.       I've   seen  my  auntie 


86  The    Happy    Valley. 

twice,  and  I  knew  her  ;  she  gave  me  a  sweet 
smile  but  she  did  not  speak." 

It  was  a  singular  coincidence  that  her 
mother  had  an  older  sister  who  died  before 
Loula's  birth,  who  was  remarkably  like  her- 
self. 

At  one  time,  speaking  of  herself  and  Bessie, 
while  eating  soni',- gia])e  juice,  she  said,  "We 
will  miss  all  the  grapes  ;"  and,  after  a  pause, 
"  We  will  miss  GoW  s  worJc .'" 

She  also  called  out  to  an  unr aught  girl,  who 
was  nurse  to  the  little  brotlier,  "Margaret, 
you  must  come ;  get  your  crutchts  and  come 
on." 

Her  sufferings  continued  great,  and  she  said, 
"  Mother,  last  night  I  murmured  against  God, 
but  I  have  prayed  for  forgiveness,  and  He  has 
granted  it,  and  I  am  so  happy." 

Once,  as  in  Bessie's  case,  a  shadow  of  fear 
came  over  her  as  she  looked  in  a  darkened  cor- 
ner, and  asked  her  papa  who  that  dark  man 
was.  Can  it  be  that  the  tempter  dared  make 
an  effort  to  approach  these  darlings  ? 

Stopping  in  the  midst  of  a  sentence  as  she 
was  talking,  she  raised  her  hands  as  in  adora- 


The    Valley    of  the    Shadow.  ^^ 

tion,  and  her  face  was  almost  transfigured. 
Those  whose  privilege  it  was  to  be  present,  say 
it  was  unearthly  and  indescribable  in  its  radi- 
ant loveliness.  Her  whole  frame  was  quiver- 
ing with  an  exstasy  of  joy,  as  she  called 
out : 

''Look!  Precious  mother,  don't  you  see 
Mm?" 

''Wlio,  darling?" 

''  Jesus  I  Jesus  I  I  do  wish  you  could  see  him. 
1  did  not  Joiow  anytlilng  could  he  so  loi^ely! 
Oh,  I  love  him  more  than  anything  else  !" 

In  this  she  was  firm.  No  matter  how  much 
they  tried  to  entice  her  back  to  a  wish  for  life 
and  a  consideration  for  human  ties,  the  burden 
of  the  answer  was  always  the  same,  to  the 
effect  that  they  were  all  inexpressibly  dear  to 
her,  but  that  "Jesus"  was  dearest  and  loveli- 
est of  all  things. 

As  this  sorrowful  Wednesday  wore  on,  the 
dread  disease  gained  the  complete  mastery, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  end  was  near.  In 
the  afternoon  her  mother  came  into  the  room, 
and  she  said  to  her  with  joyful  expression  of 
voice   and    smiling  face,   cheerfully,  as  if  she 


88  The   Happy    Valley. 

would  fain  comfort  and  strengthen  her  in  the 
assurance  : 

"Dear  mother,  I  am  dying  I'' 

"Well,  my  darling,  you  are  not  afraid  to 
die." 

"Oh,  no." 

"  You  love  the  Saviour." 

"  Yes,  yes." 

Later  lier  suiferings  increased,  and  at  inter- 
vals her  mind  began  to  wander,  but  slie  always 
responded  to  her  mother's  voice.  When  her 
mother  said  to  her,  ''Darling,  do  you  know 
me'!!"  she  replied,  s])paking  with  great  diffi- 
culty, "Why,  I  would  know  my  precious 
mother  anywhere."     • 

When  her  aunt  bent  ovei-  lier.  she  said, 
"Aunt  Sadie,  move  a  little  and  let  me  see 
those  beautiful  things." 

Even  in  her  last  hours,  she  was  always  glad 
to  hear  the  naiU'^  of  Jesus,  and  showed  her 
love  for  Him  as  long  as  she  could. 

At  one  time  she  imagined  slie  was  down  liy 
the  river,  where  she  had  been  going  to  school, 
and  she  said,  "  I  will  go  home  now,  it  is  getting 
dark.    1  cannot  see  my  lessons  any  longer,  but 


The    Valley   of  the    Shadow.         89 

now  I  have  only  these  crosses  to  learn."  Again 
she  said, ' '  Open  the  gate  and  let  me  go  through  ; 
will  no  one  open  the  gate'^" 

"I  want  to  go  home,  but  can't  walk,"  she 
said,  and  rising  up  in  the  bed,  she  threw  her- 
self upon  her  papa' s  bosom,  begging,  piteously, 
''  Oh  papa,  take  me  home." 

They  talked  soothingly  to  her,  and  her  cou- 
sin offered  Jier  a  drink  of  water.  She  said 
softly,  'a  will  drink  out  of  the  river  now." 

"  But  dear,  this  is  sweet,  cool  water  ;  will 
you  not  have  some  ?" 

"  No,"  she  said,  ''  Cousin  Lou,  I  will  drink 
out  of  the  river  now." 

When  the  agony  was  so  sharp,  she  exclaimed, 
*'0h,  this  suffering!  But  what  is  this  suf- 
fering when  compared  to  that  glory  f 

She  had  not  been  told  of  Bessie's  death,  but 
she  seemed  perfectly  aware  of  it,  and  never 
talked  of  her  as  if  they  were  to  be  separated. 
Just  before  the  end  she  sprang  up  in  the  bed, 
and  on  her  knees,  held  out  both  her  hands, 
exclaiming  rapturously,  '^Oh,  there  is  Bessie ! 
I  see  her  now,  right  there,''  pointing  as  she 
spoke  to  an  open  window. 


90  The  Happy    Valley. 

Soon  the  light  went  out  from  her  eyes,  and 
the  struggle  was  over.  She  murmured,  "  Bes- 
sie, Bessie,  pretty,  pretty,"  and  the  loving 
heart  ceased  to  beat,  the  gentle  voice  was 
still,  while  the  old  clock  recorded  the  hour — 
half-past  ten  ! 

"  Slowly  across  the  dark  night  sky, 
A  crowd  of  white  angels;  are  passing  by; 
Like  a  fleet  of  swans  they  float  along, 
On  the  silver  notes  of  a  dying  song. 

Like  a  cloud  of  incense  their  pinions  rise. 
Fading  away  up  the  purple  skies, 
But  liush  I  for  the  silent  glory  is  stirred, 
By  a  strain  such  as  earth  has  never  heard." 

'^  We  bring  Thee  back  Thine  own,  O  Lord, 
Rescued  from  earth  and  sin, 
O  Paradise!  Thy  pearly  portals  ope 
And  let  these  precious  spirits  in. 

We  bring  these  eaiih  flowers  sweet, 

O  Saviour,  to  Thy  feet. 
In  each  one  pure  and  undefiled, 

Behold  thy  child." 

Thursday  morning,  September  6th,  dawned 
upon  a  heart  broken  family.  Such  a  few  days, 
and  '^so  much  gone."      The  joy  and  pride  of 


The    Valley   of  the    Shadow,         91 

the  household  sleeping  in  marble  beauty, 
and  a  stillness  of  painful  intensity  brooding 
over  all. 

They  were  laid  side  by  side  in  the  "little 
back  room"  looking  like  two  angels,  under 
their  long  white  veils  and  amid  fair  Howers. 

"  That  life  is  long  that  answers  life's  great  end," 

and  although  they  were  like  flowers  nipped 
in  the  bud.  still  their  lives  appear,  as  we  look 
back  at  them  now,  so  rounded  and  complete. 
that  it  does  not  seem  as  if  their  passing  away 
was  in  any  sense  premature. 

They  had  done  "'God's  work,"  indeed,  both 
in  their  lives  and  in  their  deaths,  and  they  are 
victors  now,  through  Him  that  loved  us, 

"  Little  hands  we  sought  to  hold, 
Crossed  upon  that  i)Osom  cold, 
You  had  ble=sed  work  to  do ; 
God  has  led  us  all  by  you'; 
Childhood's  faith  had  made  its  sign ; 
Jesus  stooped  with  love  divine, 
And  so  sweet  a  look  and  tone, 
That  the  children  followed  on. 


92  The  Happy  Valley. 

Ah,  dear  Lord,  how  could  we  know 
Thou  would'st  lure  our  darlings  so  ? 
Yet  amid  our  tears  and  pain, 
We  would  not  win  them  back  again." 

On  Thursday  afternoon  they  were  carried  by 
tender  hands  to  their  rest.  The  Holy  Office  of 
the  Church  was  said,  the  dust  to  dust  was 
given,  and  they  were  laid  down  in  one  grave.  It 
is  in  the  old  grave  yard,  near  the  feet  of  their 
grandparents,  and  in  the  same  row  of  little 
mounds  in  which  is  the  one  before  spoken  of, 
over  which  the  summer's  sun  and  winter's  frost 
and  cold,  have  alternated  for  more  than  ninety 
years. 

A  beautiful  monument  of  Italian  marble  is 
reared  above  their  resting-place.  It  is  sur- 
mounted by  the  Cross,  the  symbol  of  that  Jesus, 
in  whom  they  triumphed  over  death,  which 
also  bears  the  circle,  the  emblem  of  that  per- 
fect eternity  upon  which  they  have  entered. 

Upon  the  face  of  the  monument  is  cut  two 
wreaths,  linked  together;  Loula's  wreath  of 
lilies,  Bessie's  of  rose  buds.  The  names  of 
•^'Loula"  and  "Bessie"  are  beneath  the 
wreaths. 


The    Valley  of  the    Shadow.         93 
Then  comes  the  following  inscription  : 

"  Laid  down  to  sleep  together, 

Sept.  6th  1877." 

"  They  were  lovely  and  pleasaat 
In  their  lives,  and  in  their  deaths 

They  were  not  divided." 

On  the  reverse  is,  their  full  baptismal  name& 
and  ages,  with  these  words  : 

"  Beholding  the  King  in  His  beauty." 

On  Loula'  s  end  : 
'^Loula  said,  put  these  words  on  my  tomb- 
stone : 

'  We  love  Him  because  He  first  loved  us.'  " 

'•With  Him  in  Paradise." 
On  Bessie's  side,  these  words  i 

"  Our  Bessie's  voice 

Is  hushed  in  prayer. 
And  changed  to  songs, 
Where  angels  are. 
Hallelujah  !" 

Sleeping  there  in  the  quiet  Valley,  we  must 


94  The   Happy   Valley. 

leave  the  mortal  part,  and  let  our  thoughts  and 
desires  follow  their  spirits  to  the  land  of  light 
and  life,  where,  with  the  loved  and  radiant  ones 
who  ministered  to  them  on  their  dying  beds, 
they  await  in  rest  and  peace  the  joyful 
resurrection. 

"  How  good  of  God,  to  halve  the  lot, 
And  give  tlicm  all  the  sweetness; 

To  us  the  empty  room  and  cot. 
To  them  the  heavens'  completeness. 

"To  us  this  grave,  to  them  the  rows 
The  mystic  palm  trees  spring  in, 

To  us  the  silence  in  the  house, 
To  them  the  choral  singing." 

The  caviller  at  God's  truth  must  stand 
abashed  before  such  a  revelation  of  spiritual 
might  as  this !  What  but  a  divine  power 
could  uphold  such  children,  and  make  them 
full  of  a  courage,  not  of  earth,  to  meet  the  King 
of  Terrors,  and  meeting  him,  to  find  the  sting 
of  death  removed,  and  only  a  path  of  light 
opening  before  their  feet  as  they  pass  down 
into  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  \ 

What  but  a  divine  power  could  strengthen 


The    Valley  of  the   Shadow.  95 

the  "  Sweet  Mother,"  that  her  faith  failed  nor, 
and  she  has  been  enabled  to  say,  ''  It  is  well.'' 

It  was  indeed  "a  glimpse  of  glory,"  an 
incitement  to  continued  straggle  toward  the 
gates  of  day,  into  which  they  passed  from 
mortal  sight. 

The  circumstances  of  their  deaths  has  already 
exerted  a  strong  infiaence,  and  a  i-evival  of 
spiritual  life  has  sprung  up  in  many  a  heart 
that  loved  them. 

The  nurse  girl,  Margaret,  has  been  led  to  ask, 
''when  Loula  said  for  me  to  'get  my  crutch- 
es,' and  come  on,  did  she  not  mean  that  I  need- 
ed soniething  to  help  me  ;  cannot  I  be  baptized 
and  made  a  member  of  Christ's  Church?" 

She  has  been  brought  to  Baptism  and  is  now 
preparing  for  Confirmation,  and  through  it  for 
the  reception  of  the  Holy  Eucharist.  May  she 
be  enabled  by  these  "  crutches  "  to  support  her 
halting  steps  along  the  way  of  life,  until  she 
arrives  at  the  same  shining  gate  which  has  ad- 
mitted them  to  the  rest  of  Paradise. 

The  lives  of  God's  saints,  be  they  young  or 
old,  are  the  heritage  of  His  Church,  and  for  this 
reason  the  simple  story,  uow  ended,  is  told. 


96  The  Happy    Valley. 

Also  because  at  a  time  when  the  voice  and  pen 
of  scoffers  are  alike  busy,  striving  to  overthrow- 
all  belief  in  the  supernatural,  and  break  down 
all  faith  in  a  world  of  spirits,  this  evidence  of 
the  Communion  of  Saints,  and  of  the  presence 
of  our  Divine  Lord,  so  pure,  so  beautiful,  so  un- 
questioned— this  death-bed  testimony  of  two 
guileless-hearted,  truthful,  little  Christians, 
ought  to  stand  as  a  powerful  refutation  to  all 
complex  infidel  philosophy. 

The  experiences  of  their  last  hours  could  have 
been  no  delusion.  Spiritual  help  was  iii(l(-td 
vouchsafed  to  them,  and  their  eyes  were  open- 
ed, as  in  the  case  of  the  servant  of  Elijah  upon 
the  mountain  (2  Kings  vi.  16,  17),  that  they 
might  see  the  glory  that  surrounded  them. 

Only  humble  souls,  that  have  in  Christ  Jesus 
become  like  little  children  can  hope  for  a  simi- 
lar blessing,  and  for  it  our  Holy  Mother  Church 
bids  all  within  Her  fold  to  pray,  as  on  the 
*' Holy  Innocents  Day." 

''O  Almighty  God,  who  out  of  the  mouth  of 
babes  and  sucklings  hast  ordained  strength, 
and   madest   infants  to  glorify  thee  by  their 


The    Valley    of  Life,  97 

deaths  ;  mortify  and  kill  all  voices  in  us,  and  so 
strengthen  as  by  thy  grace,  that  by  the  inno- 
cency  of  our  lives,  and  constancy  of  our  faith, 
even  unto  death,  we  may  glorify  thy  Holy  name; 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

And  again,  on  the  feast  of  "St.  Michael  and 
all  Angels:" 

"O  everlasting  God,  who  hast  ordained  and 
constituted  the  services  of  angels  and  men  in  a 
v/onderful  order  ;  mercifully  grant  that  as  thy 
holy  angels  always  do  Thee  service  in  Heaven, 
so,  by  thy  appointment,  they  may  succor  and 
defend  us  on  earth  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen." 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

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